Japan Press Weekly

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2008 November 26 - December 2 [ECONOMY]

JCP urges government to change policy to defend jobs

Japanese Communist Party representative Nihi Sohei used his interpellation in the House of Councilors Plenary Session on November 26 to urge Prime Minister Aso Taro to focus on securing jobs and living standards in the government economic policy.

Nihi said that the task now is for the government to shift its focus of economic policy from one of extending corporate welfare to one of supporting ordinary households. He pointed out that ordinary people have been forced to pay an extra 1.7 trillion yen in taxes and endure cutbacks in social services, while two trillion yen in tax breaks have been given to large corporations with record profits as well as to the very wealthy.

Nihi demanded in particular that the scheduled cutbacks in the social services for FY 2009 be cancelled.

Aso said, “The matter will be examined in the budget process.”

Nihi also said that it is illegal for Toyota and Isuzu, as well as many other large corporations, to dismiss many temporary workers or refuse to renew contracts with fixed-term workers as they are now doing. He demanded that the government examine the actual situation and give necessary guidance to these large corporations.

Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Masuzoe Yoichi said that at the prefectural level, 3,400 temporary workers have been laid off or have been denied renewal of their contracts. The minister said that he would give appropriate instructions.