Part-timers want equal wages with full-timers: Zenroren's talk & parade

About 200 part-timers from across the country, calling for a wage increase up to 1,000 yen (7.7 dollars) a hour and a flat payment with full-time workers, waged street action on March 7 in front of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare building in Tokyo.

The day's action was organized by the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren).

Addressing the participants, Zenroren President Kobayashi Yoji said that Japan's part-timers are made to work at less than a half of the average wages of full-time workers, which amounts to infringing on their human rights.

"Let's win a drastic increase in wages at a level equal to full-time workers, and struggle for the defense of basic human rights in this year's Spring Labor Offensive," Kobayashi said.

Akutsu Hikaru, member of the Metropolitan Area Youth Union, which comprises young part-timers, emphasized, "Most of us young part-timers receive an annual salary of less than two million yen (15,400 dollars). The urgent need now is for us to win the payment of at least 1,000 yen a hour. Are we wanting too much?"

Hamano Hideko, a member of a cooperative union from Fukuoka in the Kyushu region reported that she visited the Snow Brand Food affiliated with the Snow Brand Milk Products to protest against the company policy to dismiss 1,000 part-timers on March 10.

Hamano informed passers-by that the insolvent company wants to pay no retirement allowance for part-timers though they have been engaged in almost the same work as that of full-timers for 20 to 30 years. "How can we allow such unequal treatment?" she shouted.

Representatives of the participants made representations to the labor and welfare ministry. After relay-talks, they marched in demonstration toward the Ginza, bearing colorful placards which read, "Pay us equal wages with full-timers." (end)