Trade union members are anxious about job insecurity

A survey shows that an increasing number of Japanese trade union members are anxious about their present jobs and their future.

The Japanese Federation of Textile, Garment, Chemical, Commercial, Food and Allied Industries Workers' Union (Zensen) conducted the survey last December among its 10,000 members.

It found that 66.4 percent of the respondents (70.3 percent for men) expressed serious misgivings about their jobs.

The reason most respondents (69.5 percent) gave for it was that their companies are likely to downsize or go bankrupt. Many of them (31.1 percent) are afraid that there will be no decent jobs available to them.

73.8 percent of the respondents said they are worried about losing their jobs within the next few years.

Asked about their problems, 60.3 percent cited decreases in bonuses. 43.3 percent said that they are paid less than before, and 60.2 percent said that unpaid forced is increasing. (end)