  'Harsh working conditions' of contracted and temporary workersAkahata editorial The number of contracted and temporary workers is increasing. They are low-paid factory workers. Promising young people are treated as disposable manpower. Illegal manpower-lending business Many young people are made to work as contracted workers through labor leasing agents under harsh working conditions. These workers' hourly wage is about 1,000 yen, much lower than that of regular workers. With fees for a dormitory room as well as for the use of TVs, washing machines, and bedclothes (futon), their take-home pay is very small. Illegal money lending with higher interest rates from non-bank money lending companies is prevalent, using a checkoff system for repayment. They work day and night for long working hours on shifts, and are forced to go from factory to factory to meet production demands. They get yelled at if they ask for a day off to rest. Thus, they are treated in inhuman way. This is a modern version of the pre-war "sweatshop" in which people were confined and forced to work under harsh working conditions. Nowadays, in some electric appliance factories and automobile factories, 80-90 percent of the workforce are contracted workers. It is estimated that there are 10,000 contracting-business agents handling one million workers, constituting a two trillion yen market. The labor-leasing business contractors are prospering because it is a convenient system for large corporations to pursue the highest possible profits as major contracting business agents advertise that "hiring contract workers will help reduce costs and reform the profit-making structure (Nikken Sogyo Co., Ltd.)." Large corporations are to blame for using the highly exploitative contract employment system. Every company is socially responsible for making efforts to maintain job security and respect human rights. The Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) Charter for Good Corporate Behavior states, "Corporations will strive to make it possible for employees to lead relaxed and enriched lives, guaranteeing a safe and comfortable work environment and respecting employees' dignity and individuality," and calls on Keidanren members to "promote non-discrimination and equal opportunity in employment" (Implementation Guidance). Large corporations that use contracted workers for production work are responsible for what might happen to them, the same as they are to full-time employees in the same factory. It is very important that the Tokyo District Court held Nikon responsible for a contracted worker's suicide from overwork, because he actually worked as a temporary worker though he was technically an independent contractor. It won't be socially acceptable that large corporations can evade employer responsibility for all consequences of inadequate working conditions imposed on workers in order to maximize profits. Large corporations must be obligated to ensure that contracted workers can work under decent working conditions. The problem is that most contracted workers are forced to work as such although they are not legally contracted workers. Article 44 of the Employment Security Law prohibits labor leasing business, except for limited cases in staffing services. Illegal manpower brokerage is a crime deserving a prison term of up to one year or a fine up to 1 million yen for both the agent and the employer. In a survey by the Tokyo Metropolitan Labor Bureau on offices suspected of using disguised contract labor, 80 percent of contracted workers were illegal. About 38,000 cases are in need of improvement. Illegal labor practices are widespread. This means that corporations are breaking the law to increase their profits. Corporate ethics requires corporations to at least comply with existing laws. The government should strengthen control and guidance on corporations so that illegally disguised contract labor which infringes on the right of workers is ended. In the case of disguised contracted workers, corporations must directly employ as full-time employees those who wish to become full-time employees. Decent working conditions It should be noted that an increasing number of workers on contracts as temporary workers have shown the courage to condemn the illegal corporate practice. Contracted workers at a Toyota-group company formed a union to call on the company to redress the illegally disguised contract labor, to employ as regular employees all those who want full-time employment after more than one year's service, and ensure through legal contracts decent wages and working conditions. The government and large corporations are responsible to provide decent working conditions, offer equal treatment to contracted workers and leased workers, and increase direct employment so that young people have a future in their employment. - Akahata May 16, 2005 |