September 4, 2012
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2012 August 29 - September 4 [LABOR]
Unions struggle to improve conditions of subcontractors’ workers in disaster-stricken areas |
The annual convention took place from September 1 to September 3 at Yuzawa Town, Niigata Prefecture.
A representative of Kenkoro’s dump truck drivers’ section reported on a request it made to primary contractors involved in reconstruction work in the disaster areas to employ its union members preferentially. Thanks to labor contracts agreed upon between these contractors and the union, which leave no room for skimming off part of wages, the members who obtained jobs at these companies have received 10,000 yen more than the average daily wages of similar workers.
In the damaged areas, major general contractors have received some 90% of the work contracts to clear radioactive materials emitted from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. A representative of Fukushima said, “It is hard to say that such restoration work contributes to the reconstruction of local businesses or survivors’ lives.” He also pointed out that large companies have a tendency to prioritize making profits over safety.
The Fukushima and Miyagi prefectural headquarters of the union have launched a job placement project of their own so that disaster victims can get decent jobs. With employment contracts between employers and unions and not individual workers, employees can work under better conditions without fear of having a part of their wages taken away.
Oikawa Teppei, 31, who lost his father in the disaster, has been working at the union’s Miyagi prefectural headquarters since July as a promoter of the project. “I want to provide opportunities for the sufferers to find a rewarding job,” he said.
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