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The pandemic is driving non-regular workers and the self-employed into a corner, and that the government must implement measures to protect their jobs.

7 Comments

Shimizu Yasuyuki, who heads Tokyo-based NPO LIFELINK. The health ministry says 705 working-age men in their 20s to 50s, and 640 women committed suicide nationwide in September.

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7 Comments
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None of these people are giving money or providing entertainment to the politicians, so nothing will happen.

The political families will win every election based on their last name alone, why should they care? It is logical they only look out for themselves and their donors since it is the population that give them essentially divine right to rule.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Forget it, they don’t care about non-regulars and self-employeds in good times, so they also don’t care during this crisis. They care almost only for themselves and stockholders and nobody else. That doesn’t change with the occurrence of a new virus.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

@Furan - Good to see someone around here understands the economics of running a business.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Robert:

raise the minimum wage to 2000 yen an hour

Raising minimum wages over 60% is never a feasible or good idea. Overall employment will go down. Try raising the wages at your company for EVERYONE to 2000円/h for 3 years and see exactly how many people you can employ. Also, who will the minimum salary apply to? Full-time? Part-time? Contractors and Free-lancers? I'm sorry, but it's not this easy. You should know this if you run a company.

no one working for more then 6 months in the same job should be on a temporary contract with protection against arbitrary dismissal after 6 months by shady employers

Arbitrary dismissal is already very difficult, even for temporary contractors (契約社員). Moreover, if the average Taro doesn't stand up for his rights and doesn't sue for wrongful dismissal and continues to let the company trample on him, of course they will continue. People and companies won't stop bullying you if you're agreeable - which Japanese people are to a fault.

BUT employees should in some sectors, be willing to work harder for better pay.

[...]in bars or restaurants in Japan the numbers of waiters is triple from my country and waiting times for service still longer

This highly differs from my experience at almost every restaurant I've been to in Japan. Upon calling for a waitress, I get served immediately - within 2 minutes at the latest. If my glass is empty, 90% of the time, a waitress/waiter will fly to me offering me to fill it up again I guess this would also depend on the restaurants you're frequenting, but I have to disagree with the point of slow-service.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@robert - You don't have to wait for it to be law to pay 2,000 / hour.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Japan should respect its own people and raise the minimum wage to 2000 yen an hour. And no, that is not just easy to say for me as I own 3 businesses in Japan. Government should lower ridiculous high taxes for employers on conditions of higher net salaries for employees and no one working for more then 6 months in the same job should be on a temporary contract with protection against arbitrary dismissal after 6 months by shady employers. Companies who can not do this should close as they are not viable businesses. BUT employees should in some sectors, be willing to work harder for better pay. I doesn’t stop to amaze me that in bars or restaurants in Japan the numbers of waiters is triple from my country and waiting times for service still longer and no , I am not in that business. Of course good basic salary and tips are great incentives.

I am a very strong supporter of good pay and social protection but I also say that the hard working, high productive Japanese worker is more the exception than the rule

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Hey, this is the direct result of Japan's "market reforms" everyone (except me) was pushing for, remember? A flexible workforce, etc.

I guess no one (except me) considered the awful and costly downside.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

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