Labor, Health and Welfare Ministry to amend rules on overtime

For the first time in ten years, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry
has decided to revise the regulatory guidelines for work outside legally
regulated maximum working hours, the aim being to reduce overtime work and
work on holidays.

The ministry says the revision will help achieve 1,800 working hours as
the annual maximum hours by fiscal 2005. The following three steps will be
included in the guidelines: (1) reduce hours worked outside legal limits;
(2) end unpaid overtime; (3) holiday work to be avoided as much as possible.

The guidelines acknowledge that overtime work continues to be at a high
level although the figure declined from 188 hours in FY 1998 to 140 hours in
FY 2000.

The Japanese Communist Party in the parliament has long demanded that
unpaid overtime be ended, overtime work be reduced, and working hours
shortened to ensure working conditions and livelihoods worthy of humans. The
JCP has called on the people to develop a national struggle to realize these
demands. (end)