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TEPCO says conditions for nuclear plant workers improving

19 Comments

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19 Comments
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Well considering all the stories of workers conditions, it would be hard for them to get worse!!

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Hey Tmarie, conditions are getting better there, where do we sign up for a nice arubaito in Fukushima??

1 ( +1 / -0 )

TEPCO "believes it's important to be transparent"?? There's my major laugh for the day!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

"TEPCO says".... (-_-)*

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Eight months after the earthquake and tsunami, I as a permanent foreign resident of Japan, take off my hat and give a deep bow of respect to the workers who steadfastly remain at work at the Fukushima reactors.

7 ( +6 / -1 )

They are trying their best and I agree with Knucklhead.

These people are putting their lives on the line for the whole of Japan. I am sure ther emust be some very worried spouses and family.

The mess needs to be cleaned up and from what I see and read much of it is.

2 ( +3 / -2 )

I'm with Knucklehead, but where has Hitosugi been with this "transparency" since 3/11? Is the J-govt. and TEPCO going to really be transparent for the next 30 years?

3 ( +2 / -0 )

Masao Yoshida, one of those Fukushima 50 a plant manager, has been said "the most trustworthy manager" by other workers. On March 12, about 28 hours after the tsunami struck, Tepco executives had ordered workers to start injecting seawater into Reactor No. 1. But 21 minutes later, they ordered Yoshida to suspend the operation. (Tepco executives were saying something like this, "We do not have government approval yet. Injecting seawater means reactor decommissioning. We need PM Kan's approval...blah blah blah"). Yoshida chose to ignore the order and continued injecting seawater, otherwise...

He had an official interview yesterday for the first time since 3.11. He is answering to the questions quite frankly and I found it very interesting.

http://www.ytv.co.jp/press/n-movie/movie.cgi?movie=20111112_0054.300k

2 ( +3 / -1 )

International protocol says it's the site manager's call. Mr. Yoshida made the decision with his own life on the line. He and his mates on site are men among mice at TEPCO.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I'm glad that conditions for the people working to bring the reactors under control has improved. I hope their efforts continue to improve conditions for everyone in the region.

Editor - could the typo in the headline be fixed, please?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

HEalth insurance? Written contracts? A long way to go to treat the sub-sub-sub hu... contractees as equal. Get up to spec TEPCO and treat them as they should be. Heroes.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@zichi, and Yoshida is one of the people that have been working at the plant risking his life since March 11th. What have you done ? Being a Mr. Know it all on JT doesnt' help much

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

I agree with you zichi, Japanese companies has fallen low when treating their employees never mind contract employees. The CEO and the other "top" management need to go to jail. Professional Negligence resulting in injury/death. If they were not being protected by the government, they would already be in prison. These are the poster boys for anything is ok in a corp as long as it raises profits. My question is how many of these contract workers will be alive in 5 to 10 years?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

It's a miracle that people still willing and dare enter and work there. When I read that their condition is improving I really find it egregious as the truth is they had to work in inhuman circumstances, no proper dormitories, no proper protective gears, no proper food for long. I read quite enough about it and saw on TV how they had to sleep on the floor, got biscuit to eat, had to walk in radiating water in street walking shoes. TEPCO couldn't even be bothered to quickly set up safe, radiation proof, hygienic and conformable container type shelter-dormitories, when our latest technology makes it possible, nor setting up kitchen at a safe distance and bringing them high calorie nutritious food daily. Now after many lives are crippled (workers will pay the price later) they so proudly announce that conditions for nuclear plant workers improving.

The danger of getting contaminated is one thing and TEPCO's cruel employment policy and handling their own workers is another. TEPCO had the budget and all means to support their workers from the outset and treated them the way that in my country farmers find themselves in prison for animal cruelty if they treat their horses the same way.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

How are the workers getting paid?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

And whom do the workers have to thank for the better conditions? Themselves! Certainly not TEPCO, who sent people in with shower hats, slippers, and pollen allergy masks in the beginning (until they were caught).

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

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