Homeless in Japan hired to clean up Fukushima nuclear radiation
- 10 years ago
People living rough in Japan are providing contractors in Japan’s nuclear disaster zone with an opportunity.
Three years ago, a massive earthquake set off multiple meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear plant. Today, the radiation clean up is behind schedule.
The men in Sendai Station are potential labourers that can be dispatched for a bounty of around 70 euros a head.
Shizuya Nishiyama says he’s scrubbed down radioactive hotspots in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant twice:
“We’re an easy target for recruiters,” said the 57-year-old homeless man. “We turn up here with all our bags, wheeling them around and around the station and we’re easy to spot. Then they say to us: ‘are you looking for work? Are you hungry?’ And if we haven’t eaten anything, they then offer to find us a job,” said Nishiyama.
Baptist pastor and leader of homeless support group, ‘Sendai Night Party Group’, Yasuhiro Aoki commented:
“Without any information about potential dangers, many homeless people are just put into dormitories – and the fees for lodging and food automatically deducted from their wages. Then, at the end of the month, they’re left with no pay at all,” he said.
Three years ago, a massive earthquake set off multiple meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear plant. Today, the radiation clean up is behind schedule.
The men in Sendai Station are potential labourers that can be dispatched for a bounty of around 70 euros a head.
Shizuya Nishiyama says he’s scrubbed down radioactive hotspots in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant twice:
“We’re an easy target for recruiters,” said the 57-year-old homeless man. “We turn up here with all our bags, wheeling them around and around the station and we’re easy to spot. Then they say to us: ‘are you looking for work? Are you hungry?’ And if we haven’t eaten anything, they then offer to find us a job,” said Nishiyama.
Baptist pastor and leader of homeless support group, ‘Sendai Night Party Group’, Yasuhiro Aoki commented:
“Without any information about potential dangers, many homeless people are just put into dormitories – and the fees for lodging and food automatically deducted from their wages. Then, at the end of the month, they’re left with no pay at all,” he said.