Advocates for bar hostesses and sex workers have urged the government to reconsider its exclusion of them from compensation for parents unable to work because of school closures, noting they are among the most vulnerable members of society.
A support group for such workers submitted Thursday a letter asking the government not to discriminate by occupation and to protect the lives of all families as the coronavirus takes its toll on the Japanese economy.
Under a program for subcontracting freelance workers, introduced separately from a program for company workers, those unable to work between Feb. 27 to June 30 due to school closures get ¥4,100 ($38) a day.