February 14, 2015
The National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) on February 13 issued a statement protesting against the Labor Ministry’s labor policy council approving a report which includes a creation of a “zero-overtime-payment” system.
The report proposes implementing a system under which workers, who are engaged in jobs requiring a high level of professional knowledge, skill, and experience and whose annual income exceeds a certain level, will be excluded from work-hour regulations and will be compensated on a basis of job performance rather hours worked. Regarding the income level, the report stated it will be specified by a ministry ordinance with reference to the level of 10.75 million yen.
The report also indicated other measures to relax the working time regulations, such as an increase in job categories covered by the discretionary work system.
Earlier on that day, the report was bulldozed through the tripartite panel composed of representatives of labor, management, and academic experts in defiance of strong objection from the labor representatives.
After the labor minister finalizes the report, the Abe administration will introduce a bill to relax labor laws during the current Diet session with the aim to launch the measures exempting employers from overtime payment in April 2016.
Zenroren in its statement pointed out that the high-handed steering of panel discussions violates the principle of tripartism which has been standardized by the International Labor Organization.
Zenroren criticized the report for guttinh the 8-hour workday principle and leading to the escalation of the practice of excessively long working hours. It urged the Abe Cabinet to not submit the bill to the Diet.
Zenroren expressed its determination to counter the proposed easing of rules on working hours by working to increase joint struggles by labor unions.
Past related article:
> Labor ministry panel begins discussing zero-overtime payment system [January 17, 2015]
The report proposes implementing a system under which workers, who are engaged in jobs requiring a high level of professional knowledge, skill, and experience and whose annual income exceeds a certain level, will be excluded from work-hour regulations and will be compensated on a basis of job performance rather hours worked. Regarding the income level, the report stated it will be specified by a ministry ordinance with reference to the level of 10.75 million yen.
The report also indicated other measures to relax the working time regulations, such as an increase in job categories covered by the discretionary work system.
Earlier on that day, the report was bulldozed through the tripartite panel composed of representatives of labor, management, and academic experts in defiance of strong objection from the labor representatives.
After the labor minister finalizes the report, the Abe administration will introduce a bill to relax labor laws during the current Diet session with the aim to launch the measures exempting employers from overtime payment in April 2016.
Zenroren in its statement pointed out that the high-handed steering of panel discussions violates the principle of tripartism which has been standardized by the International Labor Organization.
Zenroren criticized the report for guttinh the 8-hour workday principle and leading to the escalation of the practice of excessively long working hours. It urged the Abe Cabinet to not submit the bill to the Diet.
Zenroren expressed its determination to counter the proposed easing of rules on working hours by working to increase joint struggles by labor unions.
Past related article:
> Labor ministry panel begins discussing zero-overtime payment system [January 17, 2015]
