KPFA in Japan: I’ve learned over 800 people have disappeared from Fukushima plant – ‘May have been killed or died during work’ – ‘Gov’t actually in business with the Yakuza’

– KPFA in Japan: I’ve learned over 800 people have disappeared from Fukushima plant — “May have been killed or died during work” — “Gov’t actually in business with the Yakuza” (AUDIO) (ENENews, March 19, 2014):

KPFA Flashpoints, Mar. 10, 2014 (at 3:00 in):

Steve Zeltzer, reporting from Japan: One of the things I learned in Osaka from the president of the day laborers is that many of the day laborers being brought into the plant, they’re not being registered and they’re disappearing. There were over 800 day laborers who have disappeared from contact by the union, which means they may have been killed or died during work.

KPFA Flashpoints, Mar. 11, 2014 (at 4:00 in):

Zeltzer: The government now is in control of Tepco, which runs Fukushima plant, and they’ve allowed the use contract workers, through the Yakuza. So the government is actually in business with the Yakuza, allowing the Yakuza to bring in these workers, and we heard a report that many are not even being registered when they go into the plant so they’re not entitled to health care and also when they get sick and over-doses you can’t tell because they haven’t been registered, these are the contract workers at the plant. […] These workers are basically being used as cannon fodder. Some of them are not only day laborers but also immigrant workers who are being used as well to clean up the plant.

Full Flashpoints broadcasts available here