Temporary Workers Call for a Stable Work Life Over Breaking the “Glass Ceiling” in Lower House Election

 

A close race between KAIEDA Banri—a unified candidate for opposition parties and their supporters—and YAMADA Miki of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is taking place in Tokyo’s first district. On October 20^th, the group Civil Alliance for Peace and Constitutionalism held a rally in support of Kaieda in front of a supermarket in Toyama, a neighborhood in Shinjuku. Civilian speakers took the microphone one after another. HISHIYAMA Nahoko called to passersby in a voice that carried well: “This snap election has nothing to do with overcoming a ‘national crisis,’ it’s about obscuring the Kake Gakuen and Moritomo Gakuen scandals.” “I don’t want to simply advance a female candidate. What I want is a sense of security and a stable work life,” said WATANABE Teruko, a single mother and a temporary worker. “I have lived off of a mere third of the average income without any bonus pay, a life in which the price of bean sprouts makes my head spin when it becomes 45 Yen

. I’m 58 years old, but there’s no such thing as life after retirement. Without retirement money and very little pension money, I have no choice but to work until I die. We have to keep fighting no matter what.” The crowd clapped and cheered at the end, when she demanded, “I want a society that rewards hard work. With each of our votes, let’s end the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) once and for all!” (M)

衆院選 東京1区 : ハケン労働者が訴え！「女性活躍より安定した働き方を」

東京1区は、自民党の山田みき候補と「市民と野党の統一候補」海江田万里候補（立憲民主）との大接戦になっている。10月20日、海江田氏を応援する「市民連合」の街宣が新宿区戸山のスーパー前で行われた。市民弁士が次々にマイクを握った。菱山南帆子さんはよく通る声で道行く人たちに「国難突破ではなくモリカケ疑惑隠し解散」だと訴えた。シングルマザーでハケン労働者の渡辺照子さん（写真）は「女性活躍なんてほしくない。ほしいのは安心と安定した働き方」と強調した。「私はボーナスもなしに普通の三分の一の給料で働き暮らしてきた。モヤシの値段が45円になるだけで頭がクラクラする。いま58歳だが私には老後なんてない。退職金もなく少ない年金では死ぬまで働くしかない。はいつくばってでも泥水をすすってもやっていかねばならない」「働けば報われる社会がほしい。私たちの一票で、もう自民党政治は終わりにしよう！」と体の底から振りしぼる訴えに、聴衆から大きな拍手が起きた。（M）