Aid workers who help homeless people visited the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters Wednesday to call for the urgent provision of shelters for temp workers laid off amid the deepening recession.
On Christmas Eve, members of the aid group Moyai, one of whom was dressed as Santa Claus, presented a sleeping bag and cardboard boxes to officials of the ruling party in the Nagata-cho district.
"We'd like you to understand how people who lost their homes in the yearend and new year season are feeling now," a Moyai member said, handing over the present.
The aid workers criticized the government for the insufficient housing for dismissed temp workers and other homeless people living on the streets.
"Politicians could not hammer out effective measures (to help homeless people) at the Diet. It's the responsibility of politicians, both ruling and opposition ones," said Tsuyoshi Inaba, a representative of Moyai. "We would send sleeping bags to all the Diet members if we could so that they would share the feelings of the people in trouble."
Massive layoffs of workers at manufacturers, particularly of temps, have been one of the hottest political issues in recent weeks.
Many temp workers have lived in dormitories owned by manufacturing companies, which means they immediately lose their housing when fired. The media have carried many stories about conflicts between management and temp workers on the brink of becoming homeless.
The recent sharp rise in the yen's value has plagued export companies, including blue-chip firms such as those in the auto and electronics industries, prompting them to lay off thousands of temporary workers since the global crisis broke out.
