Japan Press Weekly

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2007 June 6 - 12 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Bill to revise public service law pushed through Lower House

In the June 7 House of Representatives plenary session, the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties pushed through a bill to revise the National Public Service Law that will liberalize “Amakudari,” the practice of retired government officials obtaining executive corporate positions. The Japanese Communist, Democratic, and Social Democratic parties voted against the bill.

The ruling parties are considering extending the Diet session, which is scheduled to end on June 23, in order to carry out Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s pan to have this bill enacted in the current session.

The bill will remove the provision banning ex-government officials’ from using “Amakudari” for two years after retirement and establish a “public-private human resources center” to find employers for retired government officials.

Taking the rostrum before the vote, JCP representative Yoshii Hidekatsu criticized the government bill for further strengthening the corrupt relation between bureaucrats and the business world by throwing away the principle of banning the “Amakudari” practice. He stressed that there is no need to use tax money for setting up an institution that will promote this practice.

Yoshii also criticized the government bill to introduce a capability- and performance-based public servant rating system for undermining fairness and neutrality of public servants who are supposed to be “servants of the whole community.” He pointed out that the bill fails to reestablish the constitutionally guaranteed basic labor rights of civil servants. - Akahata, June 8, 2007