Japan Press Weekly

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2008 February 20 - 26 [LABOR]

Temps suffer from harsh working conditions

It was 6:30 a.m. Day laborers gathered in front of JR Nishi-funabashi Station in Funabashi City (Chiba Pref.) were waiting for buses to transport them to portside factories or warehouses.

On February 19, about 20 members of the Japanese Communist Party and the Democratic Youth League of Japan handed out leaflets describing problems faced by temporary workers. Many workers spoke about their working conditions.

A woman in her 30’s said that she has registered with two staffing agencies to look for jobs. She works for 7.5 hours a day, four days a week, and earns between750 yen and 900 yen per hour. “I used to have a regular job but quit after being bullied. Then, I found that only day labor was the option left for me,” she sadly said.

A 41-year-old man who has registered with five agencies said, “Warehouses are full of danger. Last year, a worker was killed in an accident there.”

A woman, 27, complained about discriminatory treatment of temporary workers. “Goods easily come crushing down, but the company does not explain to day laborers how to prevent goods from falling,” she said.

A man in his 30’s agreed to a JCP proposal that temporary day labor should be banned.

“If you know any meeting in which I can complain about the working conditions I’ve experienced, I will attend,” said a 26-year-old man.