Japan Press Weekly

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2017 August 2 - 8 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

JCP to Tokyo governor: Metropolis-owned Olympic venues should be constructed under decent working conditions

A delegation of Japanese Communist Party members of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly on August 2 submitted to Governor Koike Yuriko a petition demanding that metropolis-owned venues for the 2020 Summer Games be constructed in compliance with laws on occupational safety and other labor laws.

The delegation met with the governor’s special aide, Noda Kazusa, in the government office building and cited the fact that a 23-year-old subcontract company worker committed suicide after extreme overwork associated with the construction of a new Olympic stadium which continues at high speed to meet the tight schedule.

JCP Tokyo assembly person Tokutome Michinobu said, “In order to prevent a reccurrence of such a tragedy in the building of Tokyo-owned Olympic facilities, it is important for the Tokyo government to take measures to protect construction workers’ lives and safety.”

In the submitted petition, the JCP requested the Tokyo government to ascertain the actual working conditions at construction sites and have construction companies abide by labor-related laws. It urged the metropolitan government to respect and comply with the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee’s procurement code which prohibits long working hours. The party also emphasized the need to implement measures to ensure decent working conditions, including the establishment of a system to provide free counseling services to construction workers.

The governor’s special aide in reply said that he will convey the JCP request to the governor.

Past related article:
> Worker committed suicide due to overwork associated with construction of 2020 Olympic stadium [July 21, 2017]