Japan Press Weekly

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2018 November 14 - 20 [LABOR]

Union workers lobby parliamentarians for more nurses and nursing-care workers

About 300 union workers on November 14 lobbied Dietmembers for measures to drastically increase the number of medical and nursing-care workers and improve their working conditions.

In addition, they demanded the introduction of sufficient intervals between shifts and effective measures to limit the number of night shifts by stressing the need to strictly apply the eight-hour day principle to workers with healthcare and nursing-care jobs.

This action was jointly organized by the Japan Federation of Medical Workers’ Unions (Iroren), the Japan Federation of Prefectural and Municipal Workers' Union (Jichiroren), and the Faculty and Staff Union of Japanese Universities (Zendaikyo).

Prior to the lobbying action, a rally was held in the Dietmembers’ Office building.

Iroren Secretary General Morita Susumu delivered the keynote speech. In his speech, Morita cited the fact that the 16-hour or longer night shift practice has been spreading among nurses and nursing-care workers and that it is common for doctors to work more than 100 hours overtime a month. He also referred to the issue of labor shortages in the nursing-care sector. It is one of 14 sectors in which the Abe government plans to increase the use of foreign workers through the revision of the immigration control act currently under Diet deliberation.

Stating, “Our demands for better working conditions, including the amount of night work, and for an increase in the number of nurses and nursing-care workers will certainly obtain public support,” Morita appealed for the need to strengthen union efforts to achieve this.

Parliamentarians of the Japanese Communist Party, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, and the Democratic Party for the People together with independents attended the rally.

Past related articles:
> 60% of nurses under two-shift system work more than 16 hours on night shifts[November 13, 2018]
> Symposium held to discuss issue of overworked hospital doctors [September 10, 2017]
> More than 60% of nursing-care facilities struggling with labor shortages [August 14, 2017]