Law to oversee foreign trainees' work conditions takes effect

Laws mean nothing if they are not enforced.

Just saying something and actually DOING something about the situation are two totally different things! There are too many rules and regulations that are on the books here that are seemingly never actually put into action, unless there is a case that hits the news.

Let me guess, the penalties range from a stern talking to from a bureaucrat to a 10,000 yen fine and a threat that they might be included in a non-published government list of firms that break the foreign trainee law.

Meanwhile, the government may extend the training period under the program from three to five years and boost the quota of trainees for supervising organizations that comply with the rules.

The real reason for these reforms is the benefit Japanese companies, not to protect the  so-called trainees.

No mention that the trainees can quit the jobs/companies/farms that they are sent to and choose a better employer. Without the ability to move the system is still a type of serfdom.

Japan introduced the training program for foreigners in 1993 with the aim of transferring skills to developing countries.

Rubbish. Japan introduced the program as a form of cheap labor and someone to do the dirty work.

The law stipulates penalties to prohibit host institutions from forcing trainees to work by using violence or intimidation and taking their passports away.

Just TRY and take my passport away. Try it. I dare you.

A total of 13 offices and branches of the entity will be established in Japan to receive consultations from trainees and conduct on-site inspections when poor working conditions are suspected.

Sounds more like the usual vampire 'service/administrative' industries (paper pushers and blood sucking middlemen that achieve nothing of substance) are getting another income stream...

The law stipulates penalties to prohibit host institutions from forcing trainees to work by using violence or intimidation and taking their passports away.

Are there no 'penalties' against violence now? Why not enforce them and send a strong message? No need to open a whole tax-paid government arm when you already have the resources to deal with these injustices.

Meanwhile, the government may extend the training period under the program from three to five years and boost the quota of trainees...

And here we finally get to the real reasoning for this. Lip service ahead of getting more cheap, temporary laborers that can be kicked out when it suits Japan.

Yep. Nothing new here.

Now that these "trainees" have a legal path to redress, we shouldn't hear about any more issues right

for japanese people, this is the acceptable form of "immigration." there's no denying that a majority of japanese people don't want foreign workers (from SE Asia especially) to stay in japan but working temporarily is quite fine and dandy.  so the j-gov't devised a scheme to "train" workers in various industries to meet the shortage of workers (like you really need to be trained in how to pick fruit or catch fish on a trawler). countries in SE Asia should stop sending young people here to work, ot they should demand better pay and conditions that are strictly monitored bu the j-gov't.

They’ll never enforce it. Just more lip-service.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with all of the above. All of you are correct.

But let there be a silver lining in that cloud- At least a law has been passed. And at least there is some acknowledgement of abuse and that something needs to be done about it. That is a foundation that can be built on. I know, its a tiny thing, but its something. Lets try to think positive (which is becoming harder and harder day by day)

It could be a step in the right direction. The article lacks sufficient information for any of us to make a judgment on the law as not enough research was done writing the article to delineate specifically what the penalties are and outline what infractions are to be punished.

5 years training to pick potatoes in Hokkaido or tighten a screw on an ensemble belt in Aichi? Two weeks training at the most. This is low price unskilled labor, but then, look at Abe's favorite times, the colonial period. May be a clue there. To our dear leader...hahaha...they won't go back.

No doubt the law also includes clauses enabling immigration to deport "trainees" who are victims of said abuse at their workplace.

When the employee can no longer work for the abusive employer they will be given the option to continue working there or perhaps their training period will be summarily terminated and they'll be detained at an immigration facility and deported immediately.

Nice protection and oversight.

At my local konbini, the Vietnamese staff are far more efficient and friendly than the Japanese staff, who tend to just sullenly and semi-consciously do their jobs. So many younger Japanese are essentially useless as employees, I'd rather hire people from oversees who were sharp enough to leave their home looking for work, and who appreciate having a job.

Japanese really need too look at themselves and how they treat foreign workers. Won't be too long before most of their bosses are foreign.

I will be glad to see one particular strawberry farmer in Saitama get his comeuppance again this year should 7/11 holdings cancel the strawberry Christmas cake selection in Ario & ito yokado again. The petition signed last year and the year before by local residence and farm workers is beginning to pay off.

This is to your kind information In 1993 in ichinomiya city company name called Nichi in center brought 12 trainees from India throw help of JITCO and support by Aichi government they are not given training they worked as a labor in spite of complain to the Immigration office and to the government office no steps were taken to prevent such activities how come now they will take action against those illegal practice

Perhaps they should only allow a “hafu”to head up this department.

I have yet to meet anyone here who gets the way the world works.

Japan introduced the training program for foreigners in 1993

a new law....

law stipulates penalties to prohibit host institutions from forcing trainees to work by using violence or intimidation and taking their passports away.

so for 24 years host institutions could legally force trainees to work by using violence or itimidation or even take their passports away?

However, let's not forget, the recent infractions of this 'arrangement' was not because the trainees were not paid. They were paid the pittance rate for foreign trainee workers and were working far beyond their allotted 20 hours per week. The pay rate for foreign trainees is less than the national minimum wage because they are considered to be students and not employees. This is a case of scumbag employers taking advantage of and exploiting cheap foreign labor. Notice how the lawmakers have failed to stipulate what kinds of fines and punishment the scumbags will receive for breaching this "Uhum" law? Japan Inc. at it's finest!