March 25, 2010

Construction workers on March 24 called for attention to the ongoing recession in the construction industry and for the establishment of a law on public works contracts.

President of the National Federation of Construction Workers’ Unions Tamura Hideo at a rally held on the same day in Tokyo reported that there has been a huge drop in wages due to a downturn in housing construction, and that the number of construction workers also decreased from 6.85 million to 5.17 million.

He called on 640 participants to promote a movement to establish a law that will require the central and local governments to guarantee adequate wages for subcontracted construction workers working on public works projects.

Japanese Communist Party Policy Commission Chair Koike Akira and JCP member of the House of Representatives Shiokawa Tetsuya were present at the rally along with other political party representatives. Koike stated, “The JCP will do its best to establish a public works contract law.”
- Akahata, March 25, 2010