February 10, 2011
Akahata on February 10 ran an article regarding the Japan Business Federation’s (Nippon Keidanren) policy on treatment of temporary workers. Labor movement expert Oki Kazunori (Professor Emeritus of Nihon Fukushi University) criticized the policy paper as follows:
Until 2010, Nippon Keidanren in its policy on spring wage struggles mentioned a task to improve non-regular workers’ working conditions because large corporations’ arbitrary massive dismissals of temporary workers faced severe criticism from the public.
However, in this year’s policy paper, Keidanren did not include a statement on the improvement of non-regular workers’ poor working conditions. It argued instead that the important thing is to persuade non-regular workers to accept the gap between their wages and full-time workers’ wages. As an excuse for their decision, Keidanren states, “Since the total payroll cost is a matter of concern, a wage hike for non-regular workers cannot be discussed as a separate item.” In other words, it insists that if non-regular workers’ wages are increased, full-time workers’ wages should be reduced. It also argues that the reason why temporary workers’ wages are low is because it is decided by market forces. Keidanren intends to keep on using non-regular workers with low wages.
Under the pretext of having temporary employees understand about the wage gap, Nippon Keidanren proposes to interpret the principle of “providing equal pay for work of equal value” in a self-serving manner and to introduce a new wage policy which will further expand gaps among full-time workers’ working conditions. Keidanren states, “In order to realize fair treatment between full-time workers and temporary workers in each company, it is important to evaluate each worker based on a recognition that they have a difference in their willingness, ability, and status of employment.” It also proposes “to change each company’s pay system for full-time workers from a seniority-based pay scale to one based on workers’ performance, roles, and contribution.”
Individual assessment of workers
What Keidanren proposes is to allow employers to assess full-time workers’ wages individually in disregard of the accepted pay scale and a labor-management agreement in order to “sustain and improve the motivation of all employees, including fixed term contract employees.” This will accelerate the decline in workers’ wages.
Business circles protest against legal regulations
Furthermore, Keidanren’s 2011 policy paper makes further wild accusations against moves to create legal regulations on non-regular workers’ poor working conditions such as low wages and unstable employment. The business circles voice opposition toward an increase in the minimum hourly wage and a plan to ban the use of temporary workers assigned by agencies in principle as well as put pressure on a governmental panel on labor policy.
Does the business world want to say that the spread of low-paying and unstable jobs will contribute to healthy economic development? If they claim that they are shouldering the responsibility for the future of Japan’s economy, I want them to study real life economics.
Until 2010, Nippon Keidanren in its policy on spring wage struggles mentioned a task to improve non-regular workers’ working conditions because large corporations’ arbitrary massive dismissals of temporary workers faced severe criticism from the public.
However, in this year’s policy paper, Keidanren did not include a statement on the improvement of non-regular workers’ poor working conditions. It argued instead that the important thing is to persuade non-regular workers to accept the gap between their wages and full-time workers’ wages. As an excuse for their decision, Keidanren states, “Since the total payroll cost is a matter of concern, a wage hike for non-regular workers cannot be discussed as a separate item.” In other words, it insists that if non-regular workers’ wages are increased, full-time workers’ wages should be reduced. It also argues that the reason why temporary workers’ wages are low is because it is decided by market forces. Keidanren intends to keep on using non-regular workers with low wages.
Under the pretext of having temporary employees understand about the wage gap, Nippon Keidanren proposes to interpret the principle of “providing equal pay for work of equal value” in a self-serving manner and to introduce a new wage policy which will further expand gaps among full-time workers’ working conditions. Keidanren states, “In order to realize fair treatment between full-time workers and temporary workers in each company, it is important to evaluate each worker based on a recognition that they have a difference in their willingness, ability, and status of employment.” It also proposes “to change each company’s pay system for full-time workers from a seniority-based pay scale to one based on workers’ performance, roles, and contribution.”
Individual assessment of workers
What Keidanren proposes is to allow employers to assess full-time workers’ wages individually in disregard of the accepted pay scale and a labor-management agreement in order to “sustain and improve the motivation of all employees, including fixed term contract employees.” This will accelerate the decline in workers’ wages.
Business circles protest against legal regulations
Furthermore, Keidanren’s 2011 policy paper makes further wild accusations against moves to create legal regulations on non-regular workers’ poor working conditions such as low wages and unstable employment. The business circles voice opposition toward an increase in the minimum hourly wage and a plan to ban the use of temporary workers assigned by agencies in principle as well as put pressure on a governmental panel on labor policy.
Does the business world want to say that the spread of low-paying and unstable jobs will contribute to healthy economic development? If they claim that they are shouldering the responsibility for the future of Japan’s economy, I want them to study real life economics.
