January 28, 2015
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2015 January 28 - February 3 [LABOR]
Labor ministry panel opens door for use of foreign trainees as cheap labor in nursing-care industry |
The Technical Intern Training Program (TITP), designed to provide support for developing countries, allows people from those countries to stay in Japan for three years in order to obtain skills through job training. At present, about 160,000 foreign trainees are taking part in the TITP and working in 68 industries, such as the construction and food manufacture industries.
If the panel’s proposal is carried out, the nursing-care industry will become the first interpersonal service covered by the TITP.
Topics discussed in panel meetings were how to guarantee equal treatment between foreign trainees and Japanese care staff and how to maintain the quality of the nursing-care service.
The panel report, however, left the responsibility for equal treatment to voluntary efforts by the elderly care industry. This could cause the use of foreigners as a cheap labor pool and worsen Japanese workers’ working conditions. What is more, the report proposed lowering foreign trainees’ Japanese-ability level from the initial proposal requiring an understanding of Japanese language used in everyday situations to a certain degree.
Regarding the foreign trainee program, it is frequently reported that many companies hosting foreign trainees conduct various wrongdoings, including unpaid overtime and human-rights violations. The government has stated that it will submit a bill to revise the TITP, including the tightening of the process of monitoring host companies.
Past related articles:
> JCP Koike: Don’t use foreign trainees for nursing care employment under harsh working conditions [November 13, 2014]
> Use of foreign workers as cheap labor is unacceptable [August 26, 2014]
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