Japan Press Weekly

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2017 July 12 - 18 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

JCP urges Tokyo gov’t to restrict Dentsu participation in bidding

With Japan’s advertisement agency’s case of suicide due to overwork brought to trial, the Japanese Communist Party Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly members on July 13 made representations to the metropolitan government to demand that the company, Dentsu, be suspended from participation in the bidding for public contracts.

JCP assembly members who took part in the petitioning were Azegami Miwako, Shimizu Hideko, and Yonekura Haruna.

On the previous day, the media reported that Dentsu will face a trial on a labor law violation case where a young female worker developed depression and committed suicide in December 2015 after being forced to work excessively long hours.

Regarding the high-profile suicide case, JCP Shimizu in the representation said, “Only several months after starting her career, the young worker killed herself because of the corporation’s illegal labor practices.” She stressed that the Tokyo government should take a firm stance toward the ad agency.

In response, a government official said that the JCP’s proposal will be sent to the relevant divisions.

Earlier this year, JCP Yonekura at a plenary session of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly stated that if Dentsu is indicted for violation of overtime regulations, it should be temporarily banned from taking part in bidding for government contracts. A Tokyo official replied that in such a situation, the Tokyo government will implement punitive measures against the company according to established guidelines.

Past related articles:
> Tamura: Dentsu uses ‘work hour self-report system’ to evade overtime rules [February 1, 2017]
> Dentsu accused of violating work hour rules [December 28 and 29, 2016]