Japan Press Weekly

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2011 December 14 - 20 [NUCLEAR CRISIS]

Nuclear power researchers have real role to play today

Overcome discrimination and oppression (part 9)

Oppression of and discrimination against nuclear energy researchers were most severe at the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (PNC) established in 1967 to implement a nuclear fuel-cycle program.

In the program, plutonium is extracted from spent nuclear fuel to be reused as nuclear fuel. The PNC was instituted with the aim of achieving a national project of developing a prototype of the fast-breeder nuclear reactor Monju (in Tsuruga City in Fukui Pref.) within ten years.

Tight schedule

During a test operation at the reprocessing plant of the PNC Tokai Works (Tokai Village, Ibaraki Pref.) in 1974, a subcontractor worker died in an accident. Before a test to transport uranium to the reprocessing plant next year, the PNC labor union made an 80-point proposal for improvement of the work environment, including securing more workers. However, the PNC rejected the proposal and went ahead with the test.

Endo Shozo, ex-PNC labor union chair, said: We called for a step-by-step approach to reprocessing operations while confirming safety at each stage because reprocessing technology was not yet fully established and involved unforeseen dangers. But the PNC gave priority to sticking to the schedule, insisting that reprocessing was an established technology.

Many flaws at the plant were later detected, causing plant operations to be suspended frequently. Major repairs had to be made at such occasions. Endo said, “The hurried schedule was brought about by political requests which disregarded scientific and technical realities.”

Discrimination against safety-minded engineers

Researchers squarely dealing with safety issues were discriminated in personnel transfers and pay raises. They were intimidated by their superiors with statements that the function of police was no different from the prewar one in that their main concern was to check on a person’s ideological inclinations. A researcher who was going to attend the wedding of a union leader was told by his superior, “We can’t guarantee a career for you in the future if you attend.”

Endo himself was also removed from his previous work assignment. His telephone at the workplace was taken away to keep him from contacting other union members over safety issues. He recalled that even his family members were the target of PNC attacks. He said that his family had to move out from the company housing because neighbors forbade their children to play with Endo’s children.

The PNC labor union eventually turned to a policy of cooperation between labor and management by upholding the slogan “For sound development of nuclear power generation.”

Japanese Communist Party House of Representatives member Sezaki Hiroyoshi in November 1980 took up the question of numerous accidents at the PNC. The JCP lawmaker pointed out that the underlying cause of the accidents was the PNC basic policy of discriminating against engineers based on their beliefs. Showing an example of an overseer’s impression of overseeing training with the aim of completely eliminating JCP influence in the labor union, Sezaki demanded that the extraordinary control of labor by the PNC be ended.

In 1995, Monju experienced a fire induced by a sodium leak accident. Even today, there is no prospect of resuming operations at the facility in which a trillion yen has been spent. In 1997, the reprocessing plant had a fire and explosion accident and had to face public criticism. In 2005, the PNC was consolidated with the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) into the Japan Atomic Energy Agency.

Iwai Takashi, chair of the labor union of the reorganized organization, said: Researchers have a greater role to play today, including one of exposing the facts behind the Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident. Many researchers are determined never again to fail in playing a socially responsible role. We want to create a system together with the people which can meet this need.

(End of the series)

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