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Zenroren criticizes government panel report calling for undermining working time regulation

The National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) on January 25 published a statement by its Secretary General Bannai Mitsuo, criticizing a Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare panel for virtually calling for ending the eight-hour day.

Zenroren cast doubts on the claim that individual workers would be able to refuse to accept exemption from the eight-hour day under a new rule as proposed by the panel. It says that more and more workers will be exempted from the regulations under the Labor Standards Law and that the new system will undermine the legal basis for regulating working hours.

Bannai stressed the importance of solving problems related to working hours not only by law and administrative measures, but by the power of workers and labor unions in workplaces.

He said that Zenroren is resolved as part of their key demands to struggle to eliminate excessively long working hours, harsh conditions, unpaid wages, and improve holidays.

The Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) also criticized the panel report, saying that the introduction of a new "self-regulating" way of dealing with working hours is very problematic in that it will leave the reality of excessive workloads unsettled and help extend Japan's long working hours.

Kadoike Fujio, Japan Council of the Metal Workers' Unions (IMF-JC) IBM-Japan branch chair, pointed out in a statement that the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) has advocated the new "self-regulating" system concerning working hours. Once introduced, it will make unpaid overtime work more rampant. "We are determined to struggle to foil the legislation of this bad labor system."
- Akahata, January 26, 2006