TEPCO to double pay for Fukushima plant workers

Is YOUR life really worth only 20,000 yen per day?

Believe me when you have a family to feed 20,000 yen per day, no matter what the circumstances, starts to look pretty damn good, when your kids are hungry.

It's pretty easy to sit back in one's chair an comment about things like this, but when forced to come face-to-face with the reality of life and no job or income, one is willing to take risks to support their families.

Data from late 2011 showed that TEPCO budget 100,000 JPYen/ day for each of these day labourer workers, knowing that they end up with 10,000/ day in their pocket, due to each of the 6~7 sub-contractors taking their percentage, and giving them plausible denial over their working conditions, identity, food and housing, and finally radiation exposure measurement.

Are TEPCO doubling that to 200,000/ day, allowing for these fees, to give workers 20,000/ day; or are they naively just making it 110,000/ day, and assuming that the extra 10,000 will not be cut and given directly to the workers?

Do tell...

Well I guess with the loans cancelled through the banks the Yaks have managed to come up with extra supplement of income through "double pay" . What a joke. Like any of these workers will even see half of that increase.

All it takes is hours before the radiation burns through the two suits of protection

Radiation doesn't burn. It eats. Just like our human race. Ironic.....I think

Standard nuclear workers are covered as contract workers under special legislation that also covers chemical industry workers and a few other sectors. Tepco can directly employ without needing to cover any more than standard employment conditions- they don't need to subcontract.

All it takes is hours before the radiation burns through the two suits of protection they wear killing the workers within months.

Is YOUR life really worth only 20,000 yen per day?

Doubling the pay does not fix anything, they will still be skimming just now at double the size, how stupid is Tepco!

From a Fukushima worker. Priceless!

September 2012 I started work in the decontamination of Tamura, a township close to the Fukushima plant. My team leader used to invite us to parties in his room.

We were forced to eat fish, mushrooms and fried bee larvae that he picked next to our work site. He and other workers would poke fun at me for being scared to eat these things.

He also started charging us about 2500 yen per meal. The parties took place two-three times a week. That was a lot of money for radioactive food.

Subcontracting is somewhat understandable - even if I do not approve this WW practice by the NPP - but is it necessary to have 4-5 or more subcontractors layout? Have any of those contractors have any licence to do that? For the good of Japan this system need to be regulated and rules enforced.

Having said that this massive wage increase (100%!) clearly indicate they are running our of nuke meat. And we are only 2.5 years from day 1 while they will need to cope with this issue for decades. Honestly I do not know how they will manage it. Will that open the border for 3rd world workforce? I believe they will have no other choice!

Why doesn't Tepco hire them as their own employees, instead of using contractors?

As mentioned previously and to add to it, there are a myriad of other reasons as well, it would seriously screw up the entire Japanese system of hiring new employees of a company the size of TEPCO started hiring staff without going through the testing process.

Besides all the pension benefits and what not, including bonuses, annual leave, sick leave, etc etc etc, it is by far cheaper for the company to contract out for this work.

Many if not most utility companies here out-source a lot of their work, it's common, and not just for utilities either. Countless Japanese corporations sub-contract many of their employees because it saves them loads of money.

TWO YEARS TOO LATE!

this won't solve anything. Cut the number of contractors would do both, save your money and also increase salaries of actual workers

a good thing to increase pay considering the dangerous condition of the operations in particular to the health of the workers themselves. maybe this should be increased more as the country must need them more now than the tepco executives who are just sitting and watching from their very first class office.

One has to wonder why all of south east asia is not in on this . They would be the ones most effected by this dangerous operation. I'm sure they would have all eye's on Tepco. The increase of pay will attract the most vulnerable to be exploited by contractors, thievery and corruption should be met with harsh punishments.

I seem to remember TEPCO were unable to track workers due to, again incompetence dressed as outsourcing. More of the same except more missing money and more workers working under multiple names under multiple sub contract companies. Compliance was ignored before the disaster, during the disaster and after the disaster. Not a history of doing anything in a logical, legal, trustworthy manner. But I am sure some bowed heads will suffice, all be it dressed in radiation suits. By the way what happened to the stooge who went on TV drinking puddle water to prove its safety? I am interested.

The only complaint I really have is that it will in fact be us, the taxpayer, paying the mony, not TEPCO. I do NOT begrudge these brave people payment, I take issue with it being painted that TEPCO is a benevolent overseer of The Workers. ALSO: Cut out the criminal element. Back date that pay rise.

This wont change anything, sure some people might be more encourage to sign up, but how much of that actual 20k is gonna go to the work? CHANGE the system!! The government wants to have more control over this situation? Then let the government organise all the workers and NOT sub contractors. MAKE the government personally pay directly to these workers so they can account for every yen that is being paid. Sure, it is a lot more work, and will need a lot more government employees, that could be Abes 4th arrow for his damn economic plan.

Im just so sick of these bandaid solutions

Cut out the parasite middlemen!

I suppose TEPCO execs are whining that this might interfere with their desire to remain in the back while getting handouts and shirking compensation? That, or they'll ask for further handouts to cover the costs of doubling the skim so they can remain in the black and leave the 'complicated' employee and pay systems to the gangs they subcontract to?

So what about all the previous workers that have toiled for low pay and high radiation exposure?

Reuters investigation? Please...

It was reported by Japanese news long before Reuters dreamed up that they did it.

Sire double the pay with our TAXES!!!!!¥¥¥¥¥!!!

Good, they deserve it.

A Reuters investigation last month found that workers’ pay was being skimmed

Things only improve when a foreign news agency conducts an investigation??? There needs to be more investigative journalism in Japan but the papers are all scared they'll get kicked out of the kisha club if they do.

JeffLee - If TEPCO hires them as regular employees they are responsible for their pension, health insurance and annual leave. Hiring through agencies relieves them of any responsibility and when things go awry they can blame the agency. The agencies will also soak up most of this increase in salary as admin fees or some other BS.

Not really. The central issue is the amount of exposure of radiation per year. Not to be cruel or anything but no company is going to hire somebody that works only at most three weeks out of the year but get paid regular salary, pension, and health insurance.

JeffLee - If TEPCO hires them as regular employees they are responsible for their pension, health insurance and annual leave. Hiring through agencies relieves them of any responsibility and when things go awry they can blame the agency. The agencies will also soak up most of this increase in salary as admin fees or some other BS.

More money to be skimmed.

Why doesn't Tepco hire them as their own employees, instead of using contractors?

It's a way for large, powerful organizations to shirk their responsibilities.

Double nothing is the same as nothing.

A Reuters investigation last month found that workers’ pay was being skimmed, some had been hired under false pretenses, and some contractors had links to organized crime gangs.

You reap what you sow. TEPCO allowing this to happen is absolutely criminal. Some have complained they didn't receive even half their paycheck.

I hope they get broken up, some executives get thrown in jail, and all the ripped-off workers back compensated.

You couldn't pay me a 10 times that amount to work near that nuclear wasteland especially now that they're going to attempt to move the fuel rods.