Female temp worker's fight for labor equality a full-time job

 because of amendments to the labor contract law, people like her are in constant peril of losing their jobs because employers want to avoid being tied down by a rule that allows temp workers to remain.

just another way of intimidating and bullying employees. This kind of contract with immediate dismissal is illegal in most countries, but it SOP in Japan with over 60% of the workforce on similar short-term contracts and yearly evaluations. And, it’s not just women! Many employers abuse this system to the employees revolving door spinning. It’s a bloody disgrace!

Just more proof that the people who are elected to lead this country are totally out of touch with the reality of their constituents.

Even sadder is that the very people who voted for these types, are the one's who are ending up literally paying for it now!

WAKE UP!

Female temp worker's fight for labor equality a full-time job

So much for Abe's BS womenomics.

Just more proof that the people who are elected to lead this country are totally out of touch with the reality of their constituents.

We needed more proof?? Its practically screaming at us like a Taiji fisherman.

Even sadder is that the very people who voted for these types, are the one's who are ending up literally paying for it now!

Wanna know what's EVEN sadder than THAT?? Those who voted for them and are paying for it now, are going to vote them back in AGAIN in the next election.

WAKE UP!

Not gonna happen. This is Japan, where they constantly repeat the same thing over and over again and hope that things will magically change.

So if by April 1st, 2018 I've been working for more than the five years "limit," where should I get help to stand to my employer and try to make them follow the law?

@ Garthgoyle, my feeble understanding is that your company won't have to offer you an open ended contract until the year after you qualify.

Maybe someone else can clarify; is it the Labour Standards Office that supplies free consultation with a lawyer and a translator? I can't remember.

On a side note, some companies have devised a strategy to reduce salaries as a dissincentive for employees to lock them into long term employment.

Agree with all above posters.

The chickens will surely come home to roost with this one.

A mass of society as "working poor" will not help this country one iota.

But this is the world Abe Inc has created with the blessing of BigBiz and he wonders, " Why aren't the people buying?"

And if I see one more nhk news interview with a Roppongi (and the like) resident / worker how lifes looking good, and or how they're going to splurge on their Winter / Summer bonuses I'll spew.

Brutal, but nothing will change. The labour ministry sides with companies. Workers are expendable.

The news, which came from the staffing agency, 

Companies mistreating workers on contracts (hiseiki) who do the same jobs as regulars (seishain) for far worse conditions is a huge issue in Japan. This happens in the public sector too, so schools, daycares, and city offices will have people doing exactly the same jobs for drastically different pay.

The example used in the story however appears to be a woman who worked for a temping agency on a placement at another company. The whole point of employing temps from a staffing company is that you can let them go when you like. There are probably also rules or agreements about placement companies poaching staff from temp agencies. I have a friend who was placed at a household name in Japan by an outsourcer and all kinds of hoops had to be jumped through for him to get taken on at the placement company. While the woman may be worthy of sympathy, her case does not highlight the real problem in Japan. Most mistreated part timers in Japan are not working on placements from temping companies. They are employed on a disadvantage by the workplace itself due to two-tier practices.

I'm looking forward to seeing what happens when the April deadline hits, might be enough people screwed over by the system to actually do something about it! Ah, who am I kidding...

@rthgoyle - So if by April 1st, 2018 I've been working for more than the five years "limit," where should I get help to stand to my employer and try to make them follow the law?

I really dont don’t like your chances of getting help. Yearly or end of contract evaluations are usually carried out Dec-Feb. if you have not had an evaluation or negotiations for contract renewal by the end of this month, you should start looking for another job immediately.

Sad story, sadly repeated millions of time & yeah now there must be an absurd # of people worrying they will be let go around April this year.........INSANE!

This however is just one aspect of a truly/highly DISFUNCTIONAL labour market in Japan.

Once again we see Japan getting things wrong instead right...........& it looks to get substantially worse for those most vulnerable, way to go Japan, ......  NOT!!!!

Disillusioned, yes, I totally agree if that was the case. Luckily for me, my employer offered me another year contract starting on April 1st, 2018. On that day I would have been working for them for more than five years.

So according what spinningplates explained above, if I been working for them for more than five years on April 1st this year, they wouldn't have to make me seishain until the end of the 2018-19 contract? Can't I just bring a lawyer and ask them to covert my contract into a permanent one after April 1st, 2018? I should probably go to my local Hello Work office and ask.

Garthgoyle good luck with that, you are a trouble maker for actually expecting the company to work within the unenforceable legal rules. April the 1st is after all April Fools day. Welcome to Japan.

If they refuse to provide a long(er)-term contract .... what are the options?

TIJ!

There are no (viable) options, no government body or union looking out for you. All you can do is gaman or leave. Tell me how this is not a human rights issue?

Garthgoyle you should look into joining a union. It's not guaranteed that you can become a permanent employee if you teach at university. (A ten year rule has been set up). However some companies may not realize that April will be the "5 years plus one day rule". Wait and see...but join a union if you want to fight for your right.

I wish she created a crow-funding page or someone did so she can continue fighting the good fight.

"Know your place, work hard, conform, consume, don't take sick leave, don't take holidays, work hard, ganbaru, vote for the LDP, work some more, now please go away, we don't need you anymore, also, please die when you reach 65, that would be best for all concerned. Thank you!"

So this law was introduced for the benefit of who?

Seems to me that it has had the opposite effect of what it was intended for.

Scrap it and introduce an anti exploitation law.

So this law was introduced for the benefit of who?

USA(Wall Street), who wants to create  the poor in Japan, and who PM Koizumi listened to.

@GarthGoyle - Can't I just bring a lawyer and ask them to covert my contract into a permanent one after April 1st, 2018?

Ah, there you go thinking like a foreigner. If you bring a lawyer in, your contract will just be terminated and you will have no job or legal recourse of getting it back. This is Japan! It is not the real world!

The whole system is set up to protect employers from any responsibility or litigation for unfair dismissal. They can use anything kind of trouble or excuse they like to terminate short-term contracts. In fact, they don’t even need an excuse at all. You’ll also usually find a clause in the contract stating the management reserves the right to change the contract. It’s a complete farce!

There are no (viable) options, no government body or union looking out for you. All you can do is gaman or leave. Tell me how this is not a human rights issue?

Didn't bother to research that, did you.

It's ok to believe misinformation, but you should try not to spread it.

There are no (viable) options, no government body or union looking out for you. All you can do is gaman or leave. Tell me how this is not a human rights issue?

StrangerlandToday 11:34 am JST

Didn't bother to research that, did you.

viable

ˈvʌɪəb(ə)l/

adjective: viable

capable of working successfully; feasible.

Strangerland, of course, there are unions here but they are just as effective as arms that are tattooed onto someone's body. Toothless and benign. That's why so many millions are just 'gaman-ing' in their futile situations here every day. Find me a viable option for these people and maybe then you can accuse me of 'misinformation'.

I've worked in places where permanent (as well as temps) staff have been treated dreadfully. From actual physical violence, to sexual harassment, bullying, racism, withholding pay, being forced to work 12 hour days, being told to finish your shift even though the worker was scalded by hot water...

I am thankful that I joined a union. I'd been in jobs where it was frowned on if you did.

The sheer coercion and nastiness that the management level can get away with in some firms/offices/factories etc is jaw dropping.

Keep fighting, Teruko and all of you who have suffered or know someone who is suffering at the workplace.

Sadly this happens a lot with foreign English Teachers.

You get a 1 year contract, and then it's renewed every year. You don't get pay increase nor health insurance. You're literally a permanent full-time worker.

"Some employers put new hires on one-year contracts with a three-renewal limit, or a five-year maximum with no renewal possible afterward."

It's what my eikaiwa company does, for all foreign staff and a percentage of the Japanese staff. There is a statement on my 4th annual contract that states "final contract with no renewal"

Apparently it's a new addition into the contract.

The company is trying to have its cake and eat it too, trying to keep us "veterans" by offering part-time contracts paid hourly and promising the same/higher salary than before, but it looks to me that I'll do the same work for less benefits. I will look for work elsewhere, it's not worth it.

You can also be a permanent employee and be let go with 1-3 months salary (if you're lucky), but yes temp. employees get shafted big time.

Female temp worker's fight for labor equality a full-time job

Is the situation any better for male temp worker?

One of my in-laws worked a job like this as a temp on a full-time schedule for years in a busy dept. store. Whenever I went in, it always looked like she was running around waiting on customers hand and foot while the reg. full-time employees, who were younger than her and entitled to pensions and benefits, stood around doing nothing. It was so unfair to see this hard-working woman receive nothing in terms of benefits when she retired while the younger and lazier ones were entitled to pensions upon their own retirements. Very unfair.