Japan Press Weekly

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2007 August 29 - September 4 [LABOR]

Canon offers temp workers direct employment

Canon Inc. on August 29 announced that it will offer 83 outsourced workers direct employment positions as fixed-term employees in order to correct its illegal practice of “disguised contract work” at its factory in Utsunomiya City.

Members of the Canon non-regular workers’ union filed a complaint with the Tochigi Labor Bureau last October about Canon’s illegal practice demanding that Canon hire them as regular employees.

Ono Hideyuki, 32-year-old union branch chair, said, “This is the result of our efforts to establish a union and fight against the company policy. However, the company offer of fixed-term contracts still does not guarantee us a stable position. We will continue our struggle aiming at being employed as regular workers through collective bargaining as well as petitioning the labor bureau.”

The new contract will be for five months and can be extended up to 35 months. During the contract period, they will be given a chance to take an examination to be promoted to regular employees.

The Worker Dispatch Law requires employers to offer direct employment positions to temporary workers after having them work for a certain period designated by the law. In order to avoid such legal obligations, many large manufacturers have been practicing “disguised contract labor” to use temporary workers in their factories pretending as if they are outsourcing those jobs.

While many cases of “disguised contract labor” were revealed at Canon’s factories across the nation, Canon Chairman Mitarai Fujio, who also heads the Japan Business Federation, blamed the law, saying, “Labor laws need to be revised.” However, due to unionized workers’ struggles, Canon has no choice but to offer them direct employment. - Akahata, August 30, 2007