labor

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Government negative about basic labor rights of government employees

The government's proposal for public employee system reform has raised the issue of the basic labor rights of government employees that consist of right of association, collective bargaining, and the right to strike. The National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren), the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), and all other labor organizations are calling in unison for the establishment of government workers' basic labor rights.

The government previously drafted a plan for the "reform of the public employee system" in order to introduce a "capability- and performance-based appraisal system" without providing government employees with their basic labor rights, but the plan faltered in the face of severe criticism from workers' unions and the public.

Although Article 28 of the Constitution guarantees basic labor rights, government employees' right to strike has been completely denied since the U.S. occupation forces deprived government employees of the right in 1948, and their rights of association and collective bargaining have also been strictly restricted since that time.

Not a single reconsideration has been given since then. Japanese public officials are left with neither the right to engage in labor disputes, which is guaranteed in Britain and France, nor the right to conclude labor agreements.

The need now is to provide government employees with democratic rights as guaranteed in the Constitution so that they can monitor the administration from the inside and pursue a people-oriented administration as "public servants."

Japan ignores ILO recommendations

Based on the finding that Japan is violating the International Labor Organization (ILO) Treaties that guarantee the freedom of association, the ILO has issued reports and recommendations to Japan three times in the past four years, requesting the Japanese government to give public officials basic labor rights.

In its third recommendation in March of this year, the ILO called on the Japanese government to guarantee basic labor rights to government employees, imposing restrictions on certain cases as the right to strike and collective bargaining for the military and police personnel as well as firefighters and prison guards.

Attaching importance to three ILO recommendations, Zenroren calls on the government to implement a democratic reform of the public employee system in compliance with internationally recognized labor standards and to establish a consultative forum between the government and Zenroren.

Rengo points out that the government fails to take ILO recommendations seriously, calling for a reform that clearly provides government employees with the basic labor rights.

Forcing obedience to government

The government draft plan intends to transform government employees into ones being forced to only serve the government instead of serving the public as a whole. A main tool for this change is the planned introduction of the appraisal system based on capability and performance.

Under this system, a government that undermines people's living standards will appraise government employees based on their capability and performance to bully people.

It is needed to implement a reform that provides government employees with the constitutionally guaranteed democratic rights, bars retired government officials from taking posts in related private firms, and abolishes the undemocratic elitist "career" system. This is the true reform that workers and the public call for.
- Akahata, May 9, 2006