Unionized contingent city workers struggle to improve working conditions

A union of temporary workers and workers on a short-term contract with Kodaira City in Tokyo pushed the city office into paying wages which had not been paid for two years to 150 temporary workers in municipal child care centers.

Temporary child care center workers had been complaining that the city paid them less than what they actually worked by counting their 45-minute lunch break as a 60-minute break.

The Kodaira Contract Workers Union was formed a year ago by a worker on a short-term contract to get her reinstatement as school clerk which she lost after taking a maternity leave. The one-member union succeeded in revoking her dismissal and also in increasing its membership to about 20.

The union has also negotiated with the city and made the city government promise to pay overtime and treat traffic accidents on the way to work as work-related.

Kodaira City has about 1,000 full time employees and 700 contingent workers. The city has used shortfalls in funding as a pretext of cutting the number of full time workers, although contingent workers are doing important jobs in many fields.

In Kodaira City, workers on a short-term contract are hired for only one year. The contract can be extended no more than twice although many such workers are proud of their jobs and eager to work longer.

Last year, the city government officially stated that contracts must not be renewed more than twice apparently out of fear that contingent workers who work more than three years may demand they be employed as full time workers.

Contingent workers' low hourly wages are almost the same as part-time fast food restaurant workers.

Municipal child care centers have many contingent workers whose contracts are renewed every five or six months. They are not covered under employment insurance.

A child care center worker complained that such a system doesn't help to provide good care to children, even though it is not illegal.

Similarly, a library employee may be fired when she becomes capable enough to do the job and school counsellors are replaced every three years. (end)