Government doesn't know job seekers' trouble

Sato Masanobu, a 56-year-old former oil company employee, is having
tough times finding a new job after being pressured by the company's
restructuring into quitting two years ago.

The government led by Prime Minister Koizumi is encouraging corporate
streamlining to gain profits.

Takenaka Heizo, state minister in charge of economic and fiscal policy,
recently said, "You may lose your job, but that will not be a problem if
you find the next job."

"No, that is not the case. Finding jobs is not as easy as he might
think," Sato said angrily.

Sato quit the company by accepting the company's proposal for his
voluntary early retirement.

The oil company had three times called on its employees to volunteer to
retire. It even threatened workers by telling them that in other oil
companies employees who refuse to accept an early retirement are ordered to
stay in an isolation room all day.

Sato finally chose to quit while the going was good. He thought he would
not be able to receive extra severance pay if he delayed his decision.

He now finds it very hard for an unemployed person to find a next job
without special skills like English fluency or personal computer skills.

Most of those who are fortunate enough to find jobs are paid half or
even one third of what they received before. Also, after a trial hiring
period many are sacked.

Sato attended a job training class to learn computer skills because he
knew he would not be hired without business experience.

A former labor minister said: "The unemployeed are lazy and a cancer.

"Nonsense, my family now lives on the retirement money I received from
the oil company, cutting in half food expenses. He doesn't know anything
about how we, unemployeed, have hard times," Sato said.

But Sato has found a new place in the "Job Seekers' Network," which
provides employment information, promotes solidarity and mutual help among
job seekers, and works to defend the social rights of unemployeed.

Sato says he hopes his experience with sales activities in the oil
company can be used to have companies employ those people who have lost
jobs. (end)