politics

Diet enacts labor reform bill amid concerns over long working hours

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Abe Government's new working law will legalize illegal overwork,

Management-side can use workers cheaply,

Authorities can say that "Karoshi" is no exist in Japan "legally".

0 ( +0 / -0 )

in the shade of World Cup,

Japanese Abe Government make Problematic Laws one after another.

"Working Reform bill" had been made by "Labor Policy Council" that is Management side-friendly.

but Abe Government had pretended as if new bill was made for "Karoshi" bereaved families and Labors.

and Abe Government ignored opposition of bereaved families who noticed problems of new bill.

’’’Basis of the bill’ that PM Abe or Labor minister had said,it was equal to empty.

and their explanation were nothing but lie or deception.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The legislation, supported by business lobbies, also obliges employers to ensure such professional workers get 104 days off a year.

So......just standard weekends then? Two days per week is 104 days.

Japanese who get hired in Japan by modern Western companies like Google must be the luckiest workers in Japan.

No forced OT. No dress code. Free food. Go to and return from lunch when it makes sense for you, and no worry about leaving 3 minutes early and being punished for it at a press conference.

When I go to Costco, I always feel glad for the employees in their jeans and casual clothes compared to the salarymen I see on the trains in their wrinkled, ill-fitting suits, neckties, and white shirts.

I wonder if the Western companies in Japan also pay better than Japanese solely-owned companies, in addition to the better lifestyle perks?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

ensuring "equal pay for equal work" for regular and nonregular workers

This is either a pipe dream with no specific means of implementation, or double-speak for something more sinister.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It really is not unbelievable Japanese government treat people as commodities people should work endless hours for free and somehow have children who will do the same. Mean while the elite garnish the wages and get not just a yearly wage a month but benifits that 60% of the population are denied because of them.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

This sends an absolutely horrible message to the families of those that have died from overwork. It really is unbelievable.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

104 days off per year well, that's so nice.

So doing the math... that's 24 x 104 hours per year off, 2,496 hours or just the weekends off, the rest of the time you can work 24 hours per day 5 days per week. But, let's assume that Companies are more realistic, and give you another option - just 17 hours per day for 365 days a year! Now that's more workable, and it's within the Law too...

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The “Service Zangyo Daisuki” community will be very delighted with this.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"The legislation has been enacted to allow people to have different work styles, including while raising children or caring for (the elderly)," Abe told reporters at his office following the enactment.

100 hours of OT means from 8 am to 10 pm 5 days a week, or from 8 am to 9 pm 6 days a week. Add on top your commute and dinning time (between 1 and 2 hours) and after that you can raise your children or take care of your parents. Of course, you are not supposed to sleep; that's for lazy people. Or you can skip dinner and put that time to better use.

The prime minister also pledged to push forward with work-style reforms "from the viewpoint of workers."

I wonder if he really knows what that is. My guess is he didn't have much clue about it and asked Mr. Aso...

4 ( +4 / -0 )

"Akira Koike, head of the secretariat of the opposition Japanese Communist Party, expressed anger, saying "the worst postwar labor legislation change" had been forced through parliament by power of numbers."

If a communist is angry and against it, it must be amazing.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

So if every Japanese person stopped working so much overtime wouldn't that make labour shortage worse

Unlikely. Japan has very labour productivity, as Wakarimasen above points out. Actually very little additional work gets done beyond the normal working day. It also cover highly inefficient and bureaucratic processes that are not needed, but just generate extra work. In addition, stressed and tired people also make lots of mistakes.

I should also add that voluntary over-time benefits the company owners, not the employee. They get something for free. Of course, Japanese do not see it this way, but are taught from an early age to see it through some kind of Confucian lens whereas it is nothing more than pure exploitation.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I think they mean long OFFICE hours.  In my experience plenty of this time is not spent actually doing anything productive.

Andrew Crisp - theoretically yes, but these ridiculous expectations of long hours att work are one of the reasons why young Japanese don't want to work.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

So if every Japanese person stopped working so much overtime wouldn't that make labour shortage worse

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Let me get this straight...the best you can come up with may also worsen the conditions?

Japan! Wake up and toss the old fogies out! They are about to retire and die and they simply dont care enough.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

I was asked years ago to work for free. My response was not appreciated, I work for money not love.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Legalized unpaid overtime :(

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Yeah... concerns too many companies are getting caught after troublesome people commit suicide. The government wants to keep it to FIVE hours a DAY! and that's not included the commute, which for some is up to two hours one way.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Yes the LDP have solved the problem by simply increasing the number of hours. Now death from excessive work will be with in a legally allowed limit of hours. These old men have no idea not Suprisingly, if I was getting 3 million a month for wandering around clueless I'd probably be as dumb as them. 5 hours OT a day? They are lucky if they work five hours a day, maybe they get 5 hours of work a week done. No penalties no enforcement just abuse the workers more.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

a legal overtime cap of 100 hours per month

Wow ! That's like... 5 hours of overtime a day ! Thanks government !

12 ( +12 / -0 )

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