Towards Family Economic Sustainability: The Transformation of Traditional Sulphur Miners in Ijen Crater

Abstract

Sulphur miners in Ijen crater, Banyuwangi, Indonesia has been undergoing life changing experience for many years.  It happened due to the natural phenomena of the area.  Mount Ijen has a potential natural tourism that might attract domestic and international tourists.  In addition, the area has high sulphur contents. The management of sulphur is fully authorized by CN Company. The traditional miners deposit the mining results to the company. Working in sulphur mining is very risky, especially for the carriers who are paid based on the quantity of sulphur they bring up from the crater.  This study explores in deep the profile of the traditional sulphur miners in Ijen crater, Banyuwangi. It employs a qualitative approach to obtain the real image of their profile. The research results are (1) three types of traditional sulphur miners in Ijen crater are found. Two of them are permanent employees of the company while the remaining type of the miners is independent worker, whose activities are searching and carrying the sulphur.  The Ijen crater miners  had an uncertain income, depending on the amount of sulphur successfully transported. (2) The minimum income of the traditional miners leads them to transform the job into businesses. (3) The transformation lets them contribute more to their family life.