'Temp' protests warp face of egalitarian Japan Inc.

[Joanne98]

Fallout from firing contract workers underlines dangers of new culture of convenience

The Associated Press

Fired engine plant worker Kouichirou Fukudome shouts slogans with dozens of protesters outside truck maker Isuzu's towering headquarters, all demanding they get their jobs back.

Once unheard-of in Japan, such protests are becoming more common as thousands of "temporary" workers — who often had steady jobs for years under various contracts — get fired by major companies like Sony and Toyota just as the global economic slump makes it unlikely they'll find substitute work anytime soon.

The layoffs are a new phenomenon in a nation long known for its tacit guarantee of lifetime employment.

The mass firings are creating broader social problems, including homelessness, with an inadequate safety net to handle them, because temporary workers can be forced out of company dormitories. Some find refuge in 24-hour Internet cafes; others return to the rural towns they once fled in search of employment.

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