Trade unions, women, and lawyers oppose planned adverse revision of labor laws

The Central Liaison Council against Overall Adverse Revision of Labor Laws and Call for Protection of Workers' Rights and Establishment of Work Rules on November 21 held a general meeting in Tokyo.

The meeting participants resolved to quickly develop a movement against the bill for adversely revising labor laws that the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare is planning to submit to the next year's ordinary Diet session.

The draft rules on dismissals that the ministry is working on will prohibit companies from firing workers without appropriate reason, but will allow them to dismiss workers if they pay them a certain amount of money.

The draft rules will simplify procedures for introducing the achievement-based work system in which workers choose working hours, and allow the system to be introduced for a wider range of occupational categories. They will also allow the period of working contracts for short-term contract workers to be easily extended.

National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) President Kumagai Kanemichi characterized the ministry plan as the worst adverse revision of labor laws since 1998. He called on the participants to quickly start action to call for the establishment of work rules which can protect workers. (end)