What is an Essential Worker?
I think the best “essential workers” in the Corona Disaster are those involved in medical care, but I will write this time about the ones who are not involved in medical care.
Once again, we will identify what kind of profession is called an Essential Worker. Essential Workers are “people in occupations that are essential to the maintenance of life.
Specifically, they are caregivers, childcare workers, employees of financial institutions, retail store clerks, public transportation workers, truck drivers, courier delivery workers, businesses involved in lifelines such as electricity/gas/water, businesses that process garbage and other waste, cleaners, workers in primary industries such as farming and fishing, and food and hygiene products and those involved in the manufacture of food, sanitary products, etc. Of course, there are probably others as well.
These people are doing work, both visibly and behind the scenes, that is necessary for us to live our daily lives. The reason I am now able to write articles on my PC and upload them to the Internet is because of the telecommunications company that manages it for me. And while water, soap, and hygiene products for washing hands have always been essential, I have become more aware that they are a more important resource.
And then again, there is the food we need in order to survive. Vegetables are grown in the fields, fish are caught and farmed in the sea; processed, distributed, and sold which is very essential. It is so obvious that we have never thought about it. I think that few people have the impression that the people in this profession are highly compensated for such important work. Sometimes the terms “blue collar” and “white collar” are used to describe this type of work, but I feel that this is related to the fact that many people who fall into the category of blue-collar workers are engaged in intense physical labour.
Those whose jobs are required by the coronary disaster are also at high risk of infection and can be stressful because of the direct contact they have with the patients. It is a tough situation both physically and mentally. This has been going on for almost a year. In peacetime, I would not have thought of this. But now, in a time of emergency, is the compensation they receive really a break-even amount? I don’t think so.
Reasons why they are paid so little
When I heard the phrase “work for someone else is less rewarding,” what came to my mind was “rewarding exploitation.” It can be said that people feel pleasure in working for someone else, so they will work even if it is cheap. I feel this is especially true for childcare workers, teachers, and caregivers. The workload of teachers has been a problem since before the Corona disaster. And the reality is that childcare workers are understaffed. The large numbers of children on waiting lists has also been an indicator since before the Corona Disaster.
The job of a childcare worker is to take care of the lives of young children. Children do not yet know the rules of society. Therefore, unexpected things happen. Those who take care of such children risk their lives every day. I think they do not have a single moment to relax. The news is that the work is becoming part-time. The reason for this is to solve the labour shortage, but if the reason is to reduce labour costs, it is a sad thing. I think that the remuneration should be commensurate with the responsibility of the job.
There is a skill to every job, even if it seems like a simple task. It may seem like a job that anyone can do, but in fact, it is not.
I feel that the reality that “the more work is needed to survive, the lower the wages are,” is an issue that needs to be considered in the future.
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