Japan Press Weekly

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2018 February 21 - 27 TOP3 [POLITICS]

6 opposition parties agree to unite against Abe’s labor deregulation move

Six opposition parties, including the Japanese Communist Party, on February 21 agreed to work together to foil the Abe government’s attempt to submit to the current session of the Diet bills related to PM Abe’s “work-style reform” policy which legalizes unpaid overtime.

The six parties also decided to urge the Labor Ministry to reconduct a comprehensive survey on the discretionary work system which has become a focus of attention due to the ministry’s falsification of the survey data regarding the working hours of workers under the discretionary system. The ministry is criticized for window-dressing the data and pretending that the average working hours of those covered by the system are less than that of general workers.

The 6-party agreement was made in a meeting held in the Diet building by secretaries- general of each party (the JCP, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Democratic Party, Party of Hope, Liberal Party, Social Democratic Party).

At a joint press conference after the meeting, JCP Secretariat Head Koike Akira said, “Confronting the Abe government which tramples on constitutionalism and pushes ahead with anti-people policies, the six parties consented to make unified efforts on the major focal issues upcoming in the Diet. This is significant.”

Koike also said, “More and more workers began raising their voices against PM Abe’s work-style reform plan and the issue of the Labor Ministry’s fabrication of the survey data in particular. The opposition parties will come together to create a national movement.”

Other parties’ spokespersons also welcomed the six parties’ collaboration. DP Secretary General Mashiko Teruhiko said, “The six parties’ cooperation represents our strong solidarity.” SDP Secretary General Mataichi Seiji said, “We, the six parties, will jointly organize actions to attract the general public.”

The six parties’ agreement includes a demand for summoning key persons in the Moritomo and Kake scandals - tax agency head Sagawa Nobuhiko, PM Abe’s wife Akie, and Kake school corporation president Kake Kotaro - as sworn witnesses to the Diet.

Past related article:
> Abe admits discretionary work system won’t contribute to reducing working hours [February 15, 2018]