Japan Press Weekly

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2011 November 16 - 22 [LABOR]

DPJ, LDP, and Komei cancel ban on sending temps to manufacturers

The ruling Democratic Party of Japan has agreed with the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties to delete a ban on sending temporary workers to manufacturers from clauses in a bill to revise the Worker Dispatch Law, moving further away from the workers’ demands.

They have also agreed to exclude a ban on the use of on-call temporary workers from the proposed amendment.

The bill was submitted in April 2010 by the DPJ and the Social Democratic and People’s New parties which were pushed by public pressure calling for placing restriction on employers’ illegal use of temps.

However, the Diet has postponed deliberations on the bill due to the strong opposition from the LDP and Komei as well as from the temp staffing industry.

Meanwhile, some loopholes in the bill have been pointed out. For instance, it still allows companies to use on-call temporary workers to work in 26 designated job categories. Workers and unions, including ones affiliated to the National Confederation of Trade Unions, as well as lawyers have continued to call for a more meaningful revision of the Worker Dispatch Law in order to improve temporary employees’ working conditions.