June 20, 2015
In defiance of strong opposition from unions and opposition parties, on June 19, the ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties with their majority vote in a House of Representatives plenary session rammed through a bill to revise the Worker Dispatch Law which will lead to a society where only low-paying contingent jobs are available.
The Japanese Communist Party voted against the bill. The Democratic, Social Democratic, and People’s Life parties walked out of the Lower House plenary session before the vote. The bill was then sent to the Upper House.
Prior to the vote, JCP Lower House member Takahashi Chizuko took to the floor to oppose the bill.
Criticizing the high-handed steering of discussions by the Lower House committee chair, Takahashi said the deliberation of the bill was insufficient. She pointed out that the bill will abandon the basic principle of limiting the use of the temporary staffing service only to temporary and transient jobs and will enable employers to use the service as long as they want by just asking for labor unions’ opinions. “It is obvious that non-regular jobs will replace regular jobs on a large scale,” said Takahashi.
Later on the same day at a press conference, JCP Chair Shii Kazuo expressed the JCP’s determination to continue to work to scrap the bill.
Japan’s two major national centers of trade unions, the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) and the Japanese Trade Union Confederation also released their statements in protest against the forcible passage of the bill and expressed their determination to increase their efforts to block the bill.
Past related articles:
> Diet begins discussions on bill to force workers to continue working as temps [May 13, 2015]
> What will come after revision of Worker Dispatch Law? [October 27, 2014]
The Japanese Communist Party voted against the bill. The Democratic, Social Democratic, and People’s Life parties walked out of the Lower House plenary session before the vote. The bill was then sent to the Upper House.
Prior to the vote, JCP Lower House member Takahashi Chizuko took to the floor to oppose the bill.
Criticizing the high-handed steering of discussions by the Lower House committee chair, Takahashi said the deliberation of the bill was insufficient. She pointed out that the bill will abandon the basic principle of limiting the use of the temporary staffing service only to temporary and transient jobs and will enable employers to use the service as long as they want by just asking for labor unions’ opinions. “It is obvious that non-regular jobs will replace regular jobs on a large scale,” said Takahashi.
Later on the same day at a press conference, JCP Chair Shii Kazuo expressed the JCP’s determination to continue to work to scrap the bill.
Japan’s two major national centers of trade unions, the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) and the Japanese Trade Union Confederation also released their statements in protest against the forcible passage of the bill and expressed their determination to increase their efforts to block the bill.
Past related articles:
> Diet begins discussions on bill to force workers to continue working as temps [May 13, 2015]
> What will come after revision of Worker Dispatch Law? [October 27, 2014]
