Infringement on workers' rights

January 5, 2013

Kawamata decontamination workers required to sign personal info release

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130105p2a00m0na013000c.html

KAWAMATA, Fukushima -- Workers hired to do decontamination work in this town have been required by the municipal government to sign a release of their personal information to police, it has emerged.

Workers hired to decontaminate parts of Kawamata designated as evacuation zones following the outbreak of the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant disaster are required to submit personal information including their name and blood type, as well as an ID photo. By signing the form, workers agree to allow their employers to hand the information over to police when they deem it necessary.

The Kawamata Municipal Government's nuclear disaster division said the town government composed the release form in late October last year, and urged the five joint ventures serving as prime contractors for decontamination work to have their workers sign them. Residents' concerns over break-ins and risk minimization were cited as the reasons for the measure, but some privacy experts say the arrangement infringes on personal privacy.

According to Fukushima Prefectural Police, multiple decontamination workers have been arrested on suspicion of stealing from homes whose residents evacuated due to the nuclear crisis.