Japan Press Weekly

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2015 August 19 - 25 [LABOR]

Temporary workers earn 500,000 yen less than 12 years ago annually

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Koike Akira on August 18 at a House labor committee meeting pointed out that the annual income of temporary workers decreased by 500,000 yen from 12 years ago and demanded the equal treatment of temporary workers.

Koike presented survey results recently released by a non-profit organization working to support temporary workers, showing that temporary workers’ average hourly wage went down to 1,179 yen in 2013 from 1,465 yen in 2001.

“This means more than a 500,000 yen decrease in annual income. Temporary agency workers are paid low wages in the first place. Such a drastic decrease in hourly wages brings about further financial difficulties for those workers and their families,” said Koike.

The JCP lawmaker cited that Volkswagen, one of global automakers in Germany where workers are basically hired on open-ended contracts, has established the “Charter on Temporary Work” for its group companies.

He pointed out that the automaker’s charter declares equal treatment of temporary employees and states that a temporary employee “shall receive the same basic pay as a permanent employee on the same level” after a period of nine months at the latest.

He said, “Japan should create a system which requires companies receiving agency workers to guarantee those workers equal pay with regular workers for the same work.”

Labor Minister Shiozaki Yasuhisa replied, “Creation of a legal framework on equal pay by the government is difficult. I think voluntary compliance would be better.”

Past related articles:
> Abe’s deregulation of use of temps will lead to expansion of informal economy [July 1, 2015]
> What will come after revision of Worker Dispatch Law? [October 27, 2014]