As the number of users of after-school care for elementary school students in dual-income households has increased, a union made up of staff has requested the government to improve their treatment, saying that there is a serious labor shortage.
The labor union "Jidokan and Gakudo Hoiku Union" made up of after-school nursery staff made a request to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
According to the union, many after-school childcare centers are experiencing vacancies as staff wages are low and turnover is increasing.
For this reason, we are calling for a drastic increase in the wages of employees so that they are commensurate with their duties, and for more stable employment as there are many non-regular employees on one-year contracts.
In addition, in a questionnaire survey conducted by the union among the staff of after-school childcare in Tokyo, there were harsh voices such as "I can't take a break when I want to" and "There are situations where it is difficult to even ensure safety due to a shortage of staff." .
As of May last year, there were 1,392,158 users of after-school daycare nationwide, the highest number since 1998, when statistics began to be collected.
Sanae Nakayama, Chairman of the Children's Center and After-School Nursery Union, said, "After-school nurseries continue to open even during the corona crisis and are indispensable to society. The staff are professional and take pride in their work. Therefore, I want the treatment to be improved,” he said.