Japan Press Weekly

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2013 January 9 - 15 [LABOR]

Labor minister intends to investigate harsh downsizing moves by major electronics firms

The Labor Minister at a press conference on January 8 expressed his willingness to examine the harsh downsizing schemes by major electronics companies, which the Japanese Communist Party repeatedly called for in past Diet deliberations.

JCP Chair Shii Kazuo and other Diet members used their question time in past Diet sessions to urge the government to prohibit illegal practices in large electronics makers’ downsizing schemes under which the companies take jobs away from targeted workers and force them to accept early retirement.

Labor Minister Tamura Norihisa during the press conference said to reporters, “I recognize the past Diet discussions regarding the matter. I’d like to obtain more detailed information about it.”

In November 2012 at a House of Representatives plenary session and a House Budget Committee meeting, the JCP chair mentioned that electronics manufacturers like Sharp exert relentless pressure on their workers to give up their jobs. He called on the government to take measures to stop the manufacturers from promoting forcible retirement, stating, “If the government ignores the illegal and outrageous corporate layoffs, recovery of the Japanese economy is impossible.”

JCP member of the House of Councilors Tamura Tomoko at a House Audit Committee meeting in August 2012 took up the issue of a restructuring plan of NEC, where targeted workers are isolated from other workers and pushed to quit the company.

Regarding a case in which Panasonic is attempting to slash jobs by threatening employees to transfer them to distant locations, JCP Upper House members Yamashita Yoshiki and Tamura Tomoko last October requested the labor ministry to instruct Panasonic to end its forcible retirement policy.


Related past articles:

> Workers beat back mass layoffs by major electronics firms[August 23&24 2012]
> JCP calls for an end to electronics makers’ forcible retirement policy[August 28 2012]
> Electronics workers share info concerning 132,000-job cuts[September 16&18 2012]