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Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

People's living is traumatized by four years of Koizumi 'reform'

The Koizumi Cabinet is seeking the public's judgment on its "reform" policy in the coming September 11 general election of the House of Representatives.

In an overview of the four years of Koizumi politics, Akahata of August 18 revealed that under the name of "reform," people's livelihoods have been severely damaged.

Under government-supported corporate restructuring and worker dismissals, the percentage of workers with part-time and other irregular jobs has reached a record 32.3 percent of the total work force in the Labor Ministry's survey in January-March, 2005.

While the government helped to salvage major banks from their bad debts, major banks squeezed small-and medium- sized businesses to pay back their loans. Over 66,000 such businesses went bankrupt in the last four years.

Under the serial adverse revision of social services systems, the meager pensions for elderly people were slashed for the first time in the postwar period. Elderly people living in long-term nursing care homes have to pay 390,000 yen more a year for their beds and meals.

Akahata recalled that from the outset of the Koizumi "structural reform," Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo in May 2001 stated that the policy will impose hardships on the people and cause a major economic recession.

Akahata went on to say that the Democratic Party of Japan is basically in favor of the "structural reform" policy. Akahata criticizes DPJ representative Okada Katsuya for his recent comment that the Koizumi reform has been incomplete. --Akahata, August 18, 2005