JCP Ichida demands that ministerial aide resign for his remarks abusing 'tent villagers'

Japan Press Weekly

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JCP Ichida demands that ministerial aide resign for his remarks abusing 'tent villagers'

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi on January 6 demanded that Sakamoto Tetsushi, a parliamentary secretary for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, be dismissed for his irresponsible remarks abusing temporary workers who were forced to spend their New Year holidays in the "tent village" opened in central Tokyo because they had been driven out of their dormitories when they were dismissed from their jobs.

Sakamoto on January 5 stated, "It is doubtful that those who came to the 'tent village' even have the will to work."

Stressing that Sakamoto's parliamentary membership must be called into question, Ichida said he cannot be qualified to be a parliamentary secretary for a minister."

Ichida went on to say:

"Is this a statement directed to those workers who are the very victims of the government policy of encouraging corporate restructuring?

"How can these workers, who now have no place to live and no food to eat in the dead of winter be blamed for seeking help at the tent village? Corporations, which cold-heartedly fired these contingent workers and the government and the political parties that supported the adverse revision of the Worker Dispatch Law to ease regulations on dismissals in the first place, are to blame for this.

"Without making any critical review of the revised law, Sakamoto said he was doubtful whether 'tent villagers' have the will to work. This is an unpardonable insult to the dignity of all workers."

- Akahata January 7, 2009