Map of Mind Log★脈絡地圖

2007-07-07 00:00

Once dismissed as lazy youth, Japan's army of the underemployed are starting to demand more work.

一度被斥為懶惰的年輕人，日本這支未充分就業的大軍開始要求更多工作。

On a recent Sunday, thousands of young people from across Japan rallied in Tokyo, fighting for an unexpected cause in a city known for political apathy.

最近這個星期天，數千名來自日本全國各地的年輕人在東京聚集，在這個以政治冷漠知名的城市，他們要為一個意想不到的訴求發動抗爭。

Mostly in their 20s, the congregation carried banners demanding respect for themselves, the working poor in one of the world's richest nations. Let us live a decent life! And let us work like human beings! the banners cried. Ayako Kobayashi, a 23-year-old protester, says, "Poverty is really spreading all around us."

這群人多半20來歲，他們手舉布條，要求給予他們尊重，他們是世上最富有國家之一的貧窮勞工。我們要過像樣的生活！我們要像其他人一樣工作！這些布條嘶吼著。23歲的示威者木佐彩子說：「貧窮的確在我們周遭蔓延。」

Yes, the Japanese economy is recovering and the number of full-time jobs is growing, but that only adds to the frustrations of the millions of Japanese who graduated from college during the decade long jobs slump that ended in 2003.

沒錯，日本經濟正在復甦，全時工作也在增加，但對那些在2003年結束、長達10年的工作衰退期大學畢業的數百萬日本人，他們挫折感反而更嚴重。

While Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was in office, from 2001 to 2006, Japan lost 4 million full-time jobs and gained 4.3 million part-time and temp jobs. Now an estimated population of 5 million singles increasingly find themselves stuck without the skills or experience to command corporate careers, and some are starting to organize.

當首相小泉純一郎2001至2006年在位期間，日本流失了400萬個全時工作，但半時及臨時工作增加了430萬個。現在約500萬單身者日愈發現，他們身陷泥淖，既沒有專業技術，又沒有經驗，可以到企業界找適任的事業，有些人已展開自力救濟。

And the public, which for years dismissed the underemployed "lost generation" as lazy kids who would grow up one day, is now starting to worry that they will become a permanent underemployed and unmarried burden on society.

民眾多年來斥未充分就業的「失落的一代」是懶惰小子，他們有朝一日會長大，他們現在開始擔心，他們會永遠低度就業又不結婚，成為社會負擔。

That has forced the new administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to take notice. He recently announced "Second Chance" programs to provide job training and other assistance to struggling workers. The government has also passed a labor law to encourage and in some cases require companies to pay part-time workers more. Although $725 million has been allocated so far, these moves are criticized as too vague or limited to make much difference. And the new rules leave companies wiggle room to resist the cost of paying higher temp wages.

這已迫使首相安倍晉三的新政府關注，他最近 宣布「二次機會」計畫，提供這些正在奮鬥掙扎的勞工在職訓練及其他協助。政府也通過勞動法，鼓勵企業多付半時工作者工資，有時甚至強制規定。雖然目前已經 撥款7億2500萬美元，這些舉措仍被批太模糊有限，不可能有太大成效。何況新規定還給企業運作的空間，可以反對付更高的臨時工資。

According to the government, there are as many as 1.9 million "freeters," or workers under 35 without a stable job. The figure has gone down slightly over the past year, but has almost doubled over the past 15 years. Their wages are often nearly equal to the level of welfare for the unemployed, the disabled and underemployed single mothers: about $13,300 a year, or at most, $16,700.

官方統計數字顯示，35歲以下沒有固定工作的「飛特族」多達190萬人，這個數字比去年略低，但15年來幾已倍增。他們的年薪約13,300美元，最多也不過16,700美元，和失業、殘障及不完全就業的單親媽媽的社福津貼相當。

To be sure, the problem of the swelling ranks of part-time employees is not unique to Japan, but the wage inequality they face is. Part-time male workers make 60 percent and female workers make 40 percent of comparable full-time workers, according to Rengo, the nation's largest labor union. In the past, that gap was tolerated partly because many part-time workers were dependents, such as housewives. Today, they are increasingly the breadwinners.

據日本最大工會「蘋果」指出，和全時雇員相比，半時男性勞工收入只有他們的60%，女性勞工也只有40%。過去，這種收入差距還可以忍受，部分因為很多半時工作者是被撫養人，像家庭主婦。今天，他們愈來愈多是負擔生計的一家之主。

For decades Japan focused on building the wealth of the nation, says Takeshi Koyano, director general of Gatenkei Rentai, but now is the time to pursue the well-being of the individuals. "All we want is a decent treatment of workers. If that's not met, we'll be a nation without hope." Japan ignores the protests of the working poor at its own peril.

日本建築及運輸工人團結聯盟姚仁聯盟的小谷野野說， 數十年來，日本全力建立國家財富，現在應該是追求個人福祉的時候了。「我們只要求勞工要有起碼的待遇，否則，我們國家還有什麼希望。」日本如果無視於貧窮工人的抗爭將危及國本。