#Fukushima I Nuke Plant: Full of Untrained, Migrant Workers, TEPCO Says Subcontractors Are Supposed to Train Them

Tokyo Shinbun is a regional newspaper covering Kanto region of Japan. It has been reporting on the Fukushima accident and resultant radiation contamination in a more honest and comprehensive manner than any national newspaper. (Their only shortcoming is that their links don't seem to last for more than a week.)

Their best coverage on the subject, though, is not available digitally but only in the printed version of the newspaper. But no worry, as there is always someone who transcribes the article and post it on the net for anyone to see.

In the 2nd half of the January 27 article, Tokyo Shinbun details what kind of workers are currently working at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant: migrant workers young (in their 20's) and not so young (in their 60's), untrained, $100 a day. Some of them cannot even read and write.

From Tokyo Shinbun (1/27/2012):

(The first half of the article is asbout Mr. Osumi, the first worker to die in May last year after the plant "recovery" work started. About him and his Thai wife, please read my post from July 11, 2011.)

■低賃金

Low wages

大角さんの死因と被曝の関係は不明だが、事故収束現場の労働者にとって最も懸念されるのは被曝だ。その線量限度は昨年十二月十六日、通常時の「一年で五〇ミリシーベルト」「五年で一〇〇ミリシーベルト」に戻された。野田首相の「事故収束」宣言を受けての措置だ。

The relationship between the cause of Mr. Osumi's death and radiation exposure is unknown. However, it is still the radiation exposure that is most worrisome for the workers who work at Fukushima I Nuke Plant to wind down the accident. The radiation exposure limit was lowered back to the normal "maximum 50 millisieverts per year" and "100 millisieverts in 5 years" on December 16 last year. It was done on the declaration of "the end of the accident" by Prime Minister Noda that day.

限度量は事故直後、特例として二五〇ミリシーベルトへと一気に引き上げられた。厚生労働省は当時、国際基準での重大事故時の被曝限度が五〇〇ミリシーベルトであることなどを根拠に挙げたが、狙いは延べ作業時間や作業員数の増加による事故処理の迅速化だった。

The radiation exposure limit was raised to 250 millisieverts per year right after the accident, as a special measure. The Ministry of Health and Labor argued that the number was based on the international standard for a severe accident which was 500 millisieverts. But the real purpose was to increase the number of hours that can be put in by the workers and to increase the number of workers to promptly wind down the accident.

それが「事故収束」をアピールしたい首相の思惑もあって、通常時の基準に戻された。

However, as the prime minister wanted to appeal "the end of the accident", the limit was lowered back to the normal limit.

東電によれば、労働者の被曝線量は事故直後には二五〇ミリシーベルトを越えるケースもあったが、四月以降は一〇〇ミリシーベルト以内で推移しているという。

According to TEPCO, the radiation exposure levels of workers exceeded [annualized?] 250 millisieverts in some cases right after the accident, but since April it has been within 100 millisieverts.

ただ、現場の声は安全管理への不安で溢れている。下請け労働者の一人はこう語った。

However, the workers voice concerns over the safety management. One of the subcontract workers told the newspaper:

「今、現場の七割は全国からの出稼ぎ労働者らで、大半が原発作業の初心者。賃金は日給で八千円から一万三千円ほど。年齢層は就職難の二十代と他の現場を『卒業』した六十代が多い」

"Right now, 70% of workers at the plant are migrant contract workers from all over Japan. Most of them have never worked at nuke plants before. The pay is 8000 yen to 13,000 yen [US$104 to $170] per day. Most of them are either in their 20s who are finding it difficult to land on any job, or in their 60s who have "graduated" from the previous jobs."

安全管理については「原発で働く前に受けなくてはならない『管理区域入域前教育』は儀式のようなもの。テキストに書いてある想定と非常事態の現場が一致しない。字の読めない受講者もいたが、最後のペーパーテストは誰かが代わりに書き込んでいた」と話す。

As to the safety management, he said, "Before you start working at a nuclear power plant, you have to go through the "training before entering radiation control area". But in reality the training is ceremonial. The assumptions in the textbook do not match the real job site in an emergency situation. There were some who could not read, but someone else filled in the test for them at the end of the training."


■休む場所で　毎時１２マイクロシーベルト

12 microsieverts/hour in the rest area

「その後、現場に出るが、放射線量が高いところで線量を測りつつ、作業員に警告、指示する放射線管理員の数が足りない。収束の現場だから作業員が多すぎる。そのせいもあり、危険な場所でもマスクを脱いだり、一服している作業員もいる。内部被曝が心配だ」

"Then the workers start working at the site. But there are not enough radiation control personnel who measure radiation levels in the high-radiation locations, and warn and instruct the workers. There are too many workers because the nature of the work is to wind down the accident. There are workers who take off their masks or who smoke even in the dangerous [high radiation] locations. I'm worried for their internal radiation exposures."

弁当を食べたり、喫煙する場所でも、毎時十二マイクロシーベルトの放射線量がるという。「作業員同士では線量の話はしない。しても仕方がないからね」

In the rest area where the workers eat lunch and smoke, the radiation level is 12 microsieverts/hour. "Among workers, we don't talk about radiation levels. There's no point."

この作業員は「今は全国から作業員をかき集めているが、夏には足りなくなると業者の親方たちは皆、言っている」と漏らした。地元の建設業者もそのことを認める。

The worker divulged to us, "For now, they've managed to get workers from all over Japan. But there won't be enough workers by summer, all bosses at the employment agencies say so." Local construction companies also admit [to the scarcity of workers by summer.]

「長年、福島原発に携わってきた地元業者は現在、第一原発には行かない。危ないし、原発以外にも仮設住宅建設などの仕事があるからだ。全国の原発を渡り歩く職人たちも福島第一は避けている。賃金が特別良いわけでもないのに、わざわざ高い線量を限界まで浴びて、他で作業する機会を失いたくないからだ。素人中心で作業をしているが、早晩、人材供給も途切れてくるだろう」

"Local contractors who have been involved in the work at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant do not work there any more. It's dangerous, and there are jobs other than at the nuke plant, such as construction of temporary housing. The professional migrant workers who hop from one nuclear plant to another all over Japan avoid Fukushima I Nuke Plant. The pay is not particularly good, so what is the point of getting high radiation to the max allowed and losing the opportunity to work in other nuclear plants? So, it's mostly amateurs who work at the plant right now. Sooner or later, the supply of workers will dry up."

東電の広報担当者は下請け作業員の労働環境や賃金水準について「元請け企業が適切な指導をしていると思う」と説明する。作業員の確保については「現時点で作業員の数に支障は出ていない。今後も作業状況に応じ必要な人員を確保していく」と強調する。

As to the working conditions and wage levels of the subcontract workers, TEPCO's PR person explains, "We believe the subcontracting companies are providing appropriate guidance." As to securing the workers, he emphasizes that "there is no problem at this point in sourcing enough workers. We will secure necessary workers depending on how the work progresses."

しかし、原発労働者の健康問題に取り組む飯田勝泰・東京労働安全衛生センター事務局長は「労働者たちは危険な環境で働かされている。賃金水準はダウンし不払いも起きている。人員確保が難しい状況になりつつある」と指摘する。

However, Katsuyasu Iida, Director General of Tokyo Occupational Safety and Health Center who have been dealing with the health problems of nuclear workers, points out, "Workers are made to work in a dangerous environment. The wage levels are going down, and there are cases of non-payment. It is getting harder to secure the workers."

さらに東電だけでは安全管理は徹底されないとし、国に対してもこう求めた。「下請け労働者を含めた管理体制を作る必要がある。労働環境、労働条件を徹底的に守っていかなければ、いつ終わるかわからない事故収束作業に対応できない」

He also says the safety management cannot be fully enforced by TEPCO alone, and demands the national government to step in. "They need to come up with the management system that include the subcontract workers. Unless they secure the [safe] work environment and work conditions, they cannot deal with the restoration work that may continue for a long while."

※ デスクメモ　福島第一原発での作業員は命懸けだ。それを一日八千円の報酬でこなしている労働者たちがいる。東電に籍のある「お抱え議員」は年収一千万円以上。原子力ムラの天下り役員たちも未だに健在だ。脱原発とは単なるエネルギー問題ではない。こうした「不条理」を放置するのか否かという問いでもある。

Memo from the desk [at Tokyo Shinbun]: Workers at Fukushima I Nuke Plant are risking their lives. Some are doing it for 8000 yen per day. A councilman who also happens to work for TEPCO earns more than 10 million yen [US$130,000] per year. Executives who "descended from heaven" to cushy jobs in the "nuclear energy village" are alive and well. To move away from nuclear power generation is not just about energy issues. It is to question whether we will continue to ignore such "absurdity".

Well said. Everybody in the nuclear industry in Japan knew that the industry depended (still does) on migrant workers who were (still are) hired on the cheap thorough layer after layer of subcontracting companies. Thanks to the Fukushima I Nuclear Plant accident, now the general public know that. But there are plenty of those who are still comfortable with the nuclear power generated by the nuclear power plants maintained at the expense of such workers and see nothing wrong with it.

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