 Young workers call for more regular job opportunities On June 12, about 1,000 young non-regular workers and students assembled at Maruyama Amphitheater in Kyoto and marched in demonstration demanding full-time jobs. The participants expressed their determination to strive to build a society that enables young citizens to realize their wishes and to prevent suffering young workers from being isolated. On the stage, young employees shared stories of their severe working conditions, including lack of paid holidays and low minimum wages. A woodcrafter talked about his successful effort to have his company pay for his unpaid overtime work. Matsubara Toru, secretary-general of the Professional Baseball Players' Association, spoke about the union's struggles amid the reorganization of the Japanese baseball leagues last year. Mentioning players' solidarity developing regardless of which league they belong to and a positive change in team managers' attitude, he stressed, "By following through with your struggles, you can make a difference." A 22-year-old part-time worker at a chain restaurant said, "I realized that we cannot make a difference without taking action and that we can create great power by banding together." - Akahata, June 14, 2005 |