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Workers overcome fear of heights out of necessity
For many people, great heights are associated with danger or fear
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For many people, great heights are associated with danger or fear. For some, however, being up high is essential to their livelihoods.
Every day, Heru walks up and down the stairs of his workplace, a 19-floor hotel, which is currently being built in West Jakarta.
The 36-year-old man from Kebumen, Central Java, realizes that his job, installing sound systems, smoke detectors and alarms in high buildings, is dangerous.
“What else can I do. Every job comes with its own risk,” said Heru.
Working 10 hours a day, seven days a week, Heru has neither a health allowance nor an insurance policy because he is technically employed on a casual basis.
The vocational school graduate previously repaired electronic tools, such as radios, televisions, fans and irons, in his hometown.
Due to a lack of work in Central Java, however, he decided move to Jakarta.
In the city, he can earn Rp 40,000 (US$ 4.4) per day.
“If I had a choice, I’d would have preferred to stay in my hometown,” said the father of two, whose family still live in the village.
Heru is one of many villagers who move to Jakarta for work.
Suroso, a construction worker at a 32-floor apartment project, also in West Jakarta, left his hometown of Kudus, Central Java, for Jakarta 13 years ago.
Every day he carries building materials such as cement, to where they are required.
“I am not afraid of working up high because I need the money,” he said.
Recently, he witnessed an accident at the construction site and said the developer refused to be held responsible for the incident, which injured an employee.
“That’s how our job goes. If we get injured at work, we have to deal with it,” he said, adding that no insurance was provided for the workers.
Suroso, who does not even know the name of the apartment he is building, gets Rp 35,000 per day, or Rp 70,000 if he works overtime during the evenings.
“I want to get another job that will give me higher income. If I had money I would rent a field annually and grow crops in the village,” he said.
According to the chairman of the Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (KSBSI) Rekson Silaban, construction workers that work at great heights are vulnerable to workplace accidents.
“Only 25 percent of contractors meet safety requirements stipulated in health and safety regulations,” he told The Jakarta Post recently.
For example, he said, many contractors violated the rule on working hours with several hours of overtime and as a consequence, more accidents occurred.
He added the Jakarta Manpower Agency had to improve supervision at construction sites.
“The officers should inspect the sites to check the labor contract, working hours, standard procedures and aspects of industrial management,” said Silaban.
Jakarta is home to 469 high-rise buildings, with new towers mushrooming across the capital due to the rapid growth of property business.
Data from the Manpower Ministry shows that more than 54,000 workplace accidents occurred across the country last year. (lnd)
