The Japan Labor Flash
No.23
Email Journal September 15, 2004
JILPT Information
JILPT Foreign Researcher Invitation Program for FY 2005
Statistical Reports
Recent Statistical Survey Reports
Current Topics
Wage hikes in 2004 spring joint labor negotiations surpass 2003
levels …etc
Public Policies
Physicians' interviews/guidance to be mandated as part of measures
to prevent karoshi (sudden death from overwork)
News Clippings
One out of three listed companies has boosted appointments of
external directors and management monitoring …etc
Special Issue
Japanese youths and their search for stability and security:
Profile of young people in distress
JILPT Information
Information on JILPT Foreign Researcher Invitation Program for FY 2005
1. Purpose
This program invites foreign researchers to Japan and provides
them with opportunities for conducting research on labor policy
and labor issues in Japan, with the ultimate goal of improving
the quality of labor policy research in Japan.
2. Programs
Program types:
1) Long-term invitation program: 1-12 months
2) Short-term invitation program: Less than 1 month
Expenses
Travel, living and other expenses will be covered.
Requirements:
1) Must conduct research on Japanese labor policies or other
labor issues.
2) Must submit a research report to the JILPT at the end of
their stay.
3) Must be affiliated with a labor research institute or
university (excluding graduate students)
4) Must possess adequate command of Japanese or English
5) Must conduct research and remain with the JILPT
6) Must be in good enough health to carry out and complete
intended studies
3. Application deadline
Applications are accepted annually. We are currently accepting
applications for FY 2005 (April 2005 to March 2006). If you would
like to apply for this fiscal year, please submit your application
documents by December 10, 2004.
For more details, please refer to:
Application Process for the Foreign Researcher Invitation Program
http://www.jil.go.jp/english/Invitation.htm
International Affairs Department (Invitation)
Statistical Reports
-Recent Statistical Survey Reports August 2004-
Features
Survey on Employment Trends (2003)
Basic Survey on Schools (FY2004) …etc
http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/esaikin/2004/e2004-08.htm
Current Topics
-Wage hikes in 2004 spring joint labor negotiations surpass 2003
levels-
The status of wage hike demands and settlements at this year's
spring joint labor negotiations at major private-sector corporations,
which the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare had compiled at the
end of August, showed that the 259 companies included in the compilations
settled for a wage hike of 5,348 yen (weighted average), or a wage hike
rate of 1.67%. They surpassed last year's survey results by 115 yen
in terms of value and 0.04 percentage points in terms of rate.
A greater difference in the amount settled was seen among the companies
this year than last year. This is the first time in seven years that
both the value and rates settled exceeded previous year's levels.
Similarly, at the end of August, Rengo (Japanese Trade Union
Confederation) held a Central Executive Committee meeting and confirmed
their summary of the spring joint labor negotiations for 2004. Members
positively evaluated the results, saying that, as a result of
strengthening the collaborations with their smaller-scale and local
unions, they were able to put a halt to the steady decline in wage
hike rates, and fend off management pressure to put a ceiling on
and/or lower wages. As for programs related to the reform of the
pension system, Rengo indicated the continued need to boost social
movements and activities.
US$=\ 109 (September 15, 2004)
-Childcare leave taken by 0.5% of male national public employees and
92.2% of their female counterparts-
The National Personnel Authority announced at the end of August
the findings of their fact-finding survey on childcare and other forms
of leave taken by general national public employees.
The survey revealed that 4,811 employees (75 men and 4,736 women)
took childcare leave for the first time, 838 fewer than the previous
fiscal year's 5,649 employees. This drop is believed to have been
largely affected by national universities and other institutions
having become independent administrative entities, resulting in fewer
national public employees as a whole. If the status of childcare leave
(the proportion of employees who took childcare leave for the first
time of those who became eligible to take such leave during FY2003)
is categorized by sex, we find that 0.5% of male employees and 92.2%
of their female counterparts took such leave. The rate for men remained
unchanged from the previous year, while it rose 0.2 percentage points
among women. Those who took childcare leave did so for an average
10.6 months, or 0.1 month longer than the previous fiscal year.
Public Policies
-Physicians' interviews/guidance to be mandated as part of measures
to prevent karoshi (sudden death from overwork)-
On August 18, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare released
a report drawn up by the Group to Study Measures Related to Overwork
and Mental Health.
Hours of work are currently showing two extreme patterns: either
too long or too short. This has resulted in (1) increased overtime
work for people in the prime of their life, (2) increases in the
number of cases approved as work-related accidents related to cerebral
and cardiovascular systems caused by overwork (more than 310 cases
per year), (3) increases in the number of cases approved as work
-related accidents due to mental disorders to over 100 per year,
and (4) increases in the annual number of suicides to over 30,000,
of which 9,000 were accounted for by workers. Strengthening programs
and measures to resolve them has therefore become a major administrative
challenge.
The report calls on companies to conduct interviewed guidance by
physicians and encourages instituting systems to prevent the onset
of overwork-related health problems that may lead to death (karoshi)
and/or suicide. The proposed systems are to be implemented if an
individual is compelled to work overtime exceeding 100 hours per month,
if the worker has become aware of health problems, or if people around
the worker suspect abnormalities, and other cases.
At the same time, the report urges industrial physicians, nurses
and other healthcare providers to enhance their talents, encourages
corporations to carry out voluntary programs by making use of in-house
hygiene committees, etc., and proposes the bolstering of mental health
measures (implemented with the support of family members) under a
collaborative setup between corporations and the local community.
News Clippings
-One out of three listed companies has boosted appointments of external
directors and management monitoring-
A survey by Nihon Keizai Shimbun has revealed that the number of
listed companies appointing external board directors has risen sharply
to 630, or one out of three such companies.
The survey targeted 2,108 companies listed in nationwide securities
exchanges and whose business year ends in March, and studied the
status in the wake of their June general shareholders' meetings.
Last year, the number of companies that adopted the external director
system was 493; this year's number of 630 shows a 28% increase and
accounts for about 30% of all the surveyed companies. The number of
such officials also increased from last year's 918 to 1,165, up 27%.
Of the companies that have adopted this system, one out of five board
directors comes from outside the company. Thirty companies, including
Eisai (pharmaceutical production) and Hoya (optical grass manufacturer),
have appointed over half of their board directors from outside, up 40%.
(Nihon Keizai Shimbun, August)
-Toyota Moter Worker's Union does the unusual: Demands an increase
in the annual wage increase-
Toyota Motor Workers' Union (58,000 members) has decided on a policy
to demand an annual wage increase of 6,900 yen for the spring joint
labor negotiation (shunto) next year, or 400 yen more than this year.
With the company continuing to post strong business performance,
surpassing that of the previous business year with an annual net
profit exceeding 1 trillion yen, the Toyota management is anticipated
to agree to this demand. Amid moves seen in the electric machinery
and equipment sector, with one company after another abolishing the
annual wage increase program, Toyota's decision to raise the pay
hike amount will be an exceptional move indeed.
The focus of Toyota's shunto next year will be whether or not its
labor union will revive the basic wage increase demands which it had
foregone for two consecutive years and had depressed the shunto's
overall going rates.
To maintain the wage curve, in which salaries rise with increasing
age, the Toyota Motor Workers' Union had agreed with management to
secure 6,500 yen each year, which is an amount corresponding to the
annual wage increase, for three years beginning with the shunto of
'02. In reexamining the amount to be requested in preparation for next
year's shunto (when this 3-year period expires), the union found that
the labor structure has changed since then because of the aging of
union members that would serve as the prerequisite for the calculations.
Therefore, they decided to demand hikes in annual wage increase to
6,900 yen.
Management will make the final decision after an official demand
is issued by the labor union in February of next year. Since it
recognizes that annual wage increases are necessary to maintain
employees' living standards, however, the company is expected to
accept the demand as is.
(Asahi Shimbun, September)
Special Issue
-Japanese youths and their search for stability and security: Profile
of young people in distress-
A variety of recent surveys are shedding light--in their own way--
on what today's Japanese youths are really like.
First is the growing number of youths who are not working. Situations
differ from person to person. Some are not given the opportunity to
work as a result of the narrowing down of job openings; some are
confused, not knowing what they want to do or what their goals are;
and some simply do not want to work.
Whatever the reason, many of these young people are choosing to
follow the path of "freeters" or job-hoppers, at least for the
time
being. A survey by the Japan Staffing Services Association showed that
the average number of people who were actually dispatched to work on
a temporary basis reached 270,840 per month between April and June
of this year, up 13.8% from the same period last year.
Continued on;
http://www.jil.go.jp/english/archives/emm/2004/no.23/23_si.html
