Japan Press Weekly

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2010 April 7 - 13 TOP3 [POLITICS]

DPJ & LDP aim to tighten control government employees

As well as the government draft bill, a bill jointly submitted by the Liberal Democratic and Your parties intends to maintain the controversial “amakudari” practice under which bureaucrats can obtain executive corporate positions upon retirement as well as tighten control over government employees without providing them with workers’ basic rights.

Under the government bill, the Cabinet has the authority over government officials’ personnel issues, which will make it easier for the government to demote government officials. The LDP-submitted bill states that the Cabinet can downgrade not only senior government workers but also rank and file government workers.

Public servants are protected by law stipulating working conditions and regulating dismissals and downgradings of government workers. This helps to ensure that public employees are able to perform their duties as “servants of the entire community” without political pressure or interference.

Both the government and the LDP bills are aimed at eliminating these features of the law. They also intend to promot personnel exchanges between the public and the private sectors, criticized as a practice that fosters corrupt relations among politicians, bureaucrats, and business circles. There will be no guarantee for either bill to eradicate the “amakudari” practice.

In addition, the two parties are competing with each other to reduce the number of public employees.

The Japanese Communist Party demands that the practice of “amakudari” be abolished, that corrupt relations between politicians, bureaucrats, and the private sector be eliminated, and that workers’ basic rights be given to public servants.
- Akahata, April 7, 2010