The Japan Labor Flash
No.28
Email Journal December 1, 2004
JILPT Information
JILPT Foreign Researcher Invitation Program for FY 2005
Statistical Reports
Main Labor Economic Indicators
Current Topics
Japan Coal Miners' Union disbanded
Public Policies
Revised Trade Union Law enacted, obliging the Labour Relations
Commission to speed up investigations into cases of unfair labor
practices …etc
News Clippings
Asahi Glass Company holds training seminars for executives in
the Asian region …etc
Special Issue
Recent trends and issues in young peoples' employment
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
-Main Labor Economic Indicators-
http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/eshuyo/200412/index.htm
Current Topics
-Japan Coal Miners' Union disbanded-
Kyodo News Agency reported that the Taiheiyo Coal Miners' Union
of Taiheiyo Coal Mine (Kushiro, Hokkaido), Japan's last remaining
coal mine which closed in January 2002, held an extraordinary meeting
on October 31, at which it was officially disbanded. Its dissolution
marked the closure of the only remaining union under the Japan Coal
Miners' Union (JCMU). On November 19, an extraordinary meeting of
the JCMU was held in Sapporo City, where the JCMU itself was also
disbanded.
It is thought that the dismantlement of the Japan Coal Miners' Union
--which played a key role in labor movements in the postwar era and
was engaged in a major dispute that shook Japanese society during
the country's energy policy transformation from coal to oil--will
invoke deep feelings among many people.
From its establishment in November 1945, the Taiheiyo Coal Miners'
Union has campaigned for the improvement of labor conditions for
its members. It decided to continue its activities even after the
closure of the Taiheiyo Coal Mine, including the provision of
re-employment support for displaced miners. However, due to difficulties
in raising operating expenses, it came to a decision to disband in May
of this year. A new organization will be established, together with
an organization of retired workers, which will continue to provide
re-employment support and engage in other related activities.
Approximately 300 people out of the 1,000 or so former union members
have yet to find new employment.
Public Policies
-Revised Trade Union Law enacted, obliging the Labour Relations
Commission to speed up investigations into cases of unfair labor
practices-
In light of mounting criticisms against the length of time required
by the Labour Relations Commission to handle investigations into
unfair labor practices--approximately two years for the first trial--
a Revised Trade Union Law, which speeds up such investigations, was
passed and enacted at the Upper House plenary session on November 10.
The Revised Law requires the Labour Relations Commission to construct
a plan that details the number of investigations, as well as a schedule
for the issuance of relief orders, prior to the start of investigations.
In addition, the law incorporates such measures as the adoption of
evidence submission and witness attendance orders following a conference
of the public members of the labor relations board, the introduction
of full-time positions for these members and the establishment of
sub-committees, and the boosting of training given to secretariats
of the Labour Relations Commission. The law will be enforced from
January 1, 2005.
For the record, this revision was enacted through the following
procedures: A bill, entitled "Bill to Amend a Section of the Trade
Union Law," was submitted by the Cabinet to the 159th session of
the Diet on March 5, 2004 (Bill Submission No. 88). It was referred
to the Lower House Committee on Health, Welfare and Labor on October 12,
passed by the Committee on October 29, passed by the Lower House plenary
session on November 2, and referred to the Upper House Committee on
Health, Welfare and Labor on the same day. The bill was passed by the
committee on November 9, and passed and enacted at the Upper House
plenary session on November 10.
-Over half of construction sites in Tokyo found to violate Industrial
Safety and Health Laws-
According to results obtained from recent concerted surveillance
and guidance efforts carried out by the Ministry of Health, Labour
and Welfare's Tokyo Labour Bureau at construction sites in Tokyo,
violations of statutes relating to industrial safety and health were
confirmed at 138 of the 252 sites where surveillance and guidance
procedures were carried out, or more than half of all sites surveyed.
Over a third of the violations involved hazards relating to falling
objects or people that had the risk of leading to fatalities and many
sites received administrative penalties, including discontinuation of
operations.
News Clippings
-Asahi Glass Company holds training seminars for executives in the
Asian region-
Asahi Glass Company has started training seminars for executives,
targeting only employees hired locally in the Asian region (excluding
Japan). In FY2004, 16 young employees in their thirties were selected
from the whole Asian region (excluding Japan) to participate in a
training program, which lasted approximately five months. The company
aims to strengthen the competitiveness of its group companies in the
Asian region where approximately a quarter of the group's total employees
work, by fostering personnel who have a thorough understanding of the
group's principles and strategies. It is rare for a Japanese company
to offer training programs for locally-hired management executives of
a particular region.
(Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun, November)
-Private sector firms set up forums for working women-
With the recovery in Japanese economy, women who once struggled
to hold onto their jobs are now eyeing new positions and career
-enhancing moves. In light of this development, firms and management
have begun to establish spaces where women are able to hold frank
discussions on issues relating to their work.
Shigoto Cafe Travaille (Aoyama, Tokyo), opened by Recruit, is
frequented by women seeking advice who face problems at work or who
juggle their careers and family, as well as women who plan to start
up their own businesses. Women are able to browse through various
work-related materials at the cafe, as well as search for information
on the Internet. The cafe also holds popular talk events featuring
successful women from various fields, as well as seminars given by
prominent figures on their views on work and life. Over 10,000
people have visited the cafe in its first month since opening in
October.
A forum designed for working women in their thirties and forties
will be launched in January 2005 by Sophia Bank, a think tank. While
seminars to support women's careers have been hosted by public
organizations until now, private sector activities are setting
a new trend.
(Nihon Keizai Shimbun, November)
Special Issue
-Recent trends and issues in young peoples' employment-
According to the results of a survey carried out by the Ministry
of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Ministry of Education, Culture,
Sports, Science and Technology, the percentage of students planning
to graduate next spring from high school or university who found work
as of October 1 was higher than that recorded at the same time last
year.
The percentage of university students who had found work was 61.3%,
and exceeded the previous year's level for the first time in three
years. The rate for male high school students, at 44.0%, surpassed
40% for the first time in three years, while the rate for female high
school students, which dipped below 30% last year for an all-time low,
recovered to 33.1%.
Continued on;
http://www.jil.go.jp/english/archives/emm/2004/no.28/28_si.html
