The Japan Labor Flash No.88
Email Journal July 17, 2007
Statistical Reports
Recent Statistical Survey Reports
Current Topics
Japan's Largest Union and Largest Association of Unions in Public
Sector Come into Existence
Public Policies
2007 White Paper on National Lifestyle: Ties Loosen among People
at Home, Communities and Workplaces
2007 White Paper on Measures for Persons with Disabilities: Number
of Persons with Mental Disabilities Increases to 3.03 Million
News Clippings
Remote Internet Classes Gradually Accepted: 2.4 Times as Much
Compared to 4 Years Before
The Outlook of New Recruits
Special Issue
Long Way to Go towards Gender-Equal Society
Statistical Reports
-Recent Statistical Survey Reports-
Features
Survey on Firms' Consecutive Summer Holiday Plan (2007)
Labour Force Survey: Detailed Analysis (2006)
http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/esaikin/2007/e2007-06.htm
Current Topics -Japan's Largest Union and Largest Association of Unions in Public
Sector Come into Existence-
At a regular convention held in mid-June, Zen-Yusei (All Japan
Postal Labour Union) resolved to dissolve itself, with an eye to the
privatization and split-up of the Japan Post scheduled for October,
and merge with Nihon Yusei Kosha Rodo Kumiai (Japan Postal Workers'
Union, or JPU; approximately 136,000 members) to form the Nihon Yusei
Group Rodo Kumiai (Japan Postal Group Union, or JP Union). At the same
time, the JPU held its regular convention in Okinawa prefecture and
resolved to take similar steps in October. Some 97 percent of its
staff voted for the proposed campaign policies including the merger
of the two personnel organizations of the Japan Post. The All Japan
Postal Labour Union also won a similar proportion of votes of confidence.
The approvals for the merger will lead to the birth of Japan's largest
single labor union with approximately 220,000 members on October 22.
The merger of the two formerly rival postal unions is a deeply moving
event for those involved considering the history of the labor movement
in Japan, since the All Japan Postal Labour Union was established with
strong resistance from the JPU. They remained rivals for many years
in the course of transition from the Ministry of Posts and
Telecommunications to the Japan Post.
In the meantime, in late May, Jichiro (All Japan Prefectural and
Municipal Workers Union), the largest union in the public sector, held
its Central Committee meeting in Kyoto and proposed future measures to
be taken (a draft for internal discussion) on its organizational
integration with Zen-Suido (All Japan Water Supply Workers' Union)
and Toshiko (All Japan Municipal Transport Workers' Union). These
three industrial unions reportedly plan to form an associaton of labor
unions for regional public services in September, seeking a unified
application to participate in Rengo. They will also set up a relevant
committee for further discussion on the formation of a new industrial
union by autumn 2010.
Public Policies
-2007 White Paper on National Lifestyle: Ties Loosen among People at
Home, Communities and Workplaces-
On June 26, Sanae Takaichi, State Minister in charge of efforts to
curb the falling birthrate and various youth-related issues, submitted
to the Cabinet the 2007 White Paper on the National Lifestyle. The
annual report emphasizes the possibility that loosened "ties" among
people at home, in communities and in workplaces due to changes in
social and economic conditions and people's outlooks has had a negative
impact on their satisfaction with their lives. It thus calls on private
firms to encourage a "work-life balance" to promote the rebuilding of
such ties.
For the Paper, the Cabinet Office conducted a survey in January 2007
on relationships in the workplace, aimed at 1,654 employed workers aged
20 and above. Asked if it is better to have non-business relationships
with colleagues, 69 percent of the respondents gave an affirmative answer,
while 31 percent rejected that idea. Of those who thought it was good
to have non-business relationships with colleagues, 36 percent replied
that in practice they had no such relationships, which accounted for
25 percent of all respondents. The proportion of those who so replied
was greater among part-time workers than among regular employees; it
was also greater among the younger generation.
The survey on relationships in communities was addressed to 3,908
persons aged 15 to 80, of whom 40 percent replied that they fully
would like to have closer relationships with their neighbors but did
not have in reality; 39 percent responded that they to same extent
would like to have it, but did not have in reality.
-2007 White Paper on Measures for Persons with Disabilities: Number
of Persons with Mental Disabilities Increases to 3.03 Million-
At a Cabinet meeting held on June 15, the Government approved the
2007 White Paper on Measures for Persons with Disabilities. According
to the Paper, in 2005 persons with mental disabilities totaled 3.03
million, an increase, approximately 450,000 from three years earlier.
The number of children and adults with intellectual disabilities was
approximately 550,000, an increase of approximately 90,000 from five
years earlier. The White Paper highlights measures taken in fiscal
year 2006 for disabled persons in four areas, including "mutual
understanding and exchange" and "establishment of infrastructure for
their independent social participation."
News Clippings
-Remote Internet Classes Gradually Accepted: 2.4 Times as Much
Compared to 4 Years Before-
An increasing number of universities and colleges are making use of
the Internet to offer lectures and classes.
According to the "Survey on Education using E-learning and Other
Information Technology for Fiscal Year 2006" published by the National
Institute of Multimedia Education (Chiba prefecture), the proportion
of faculties and graduate courses at colleges and universities surveyed
which provided remote education through the Internet in fiscal year
2006 was 16.5 percent, 2.4 times as much as in fiscal year 2002.
Remote education is beginning to be widely accepted as a means of
providing primarily working adults with opportunities to learn
regardless of time and place.
The survey was carried out in June 2006 and addressed to 1,276
universities, colleges and technical colleges across the country; the
effective return rate was 71.7 percent.
In fiscal year 2006, the proportion of universities offering
"e-learning" through the Internet, portable terminals and other
information technology, as well as remote education, stood at 56.7
percent. The proportion of national universities is higher, at 86.2
percent, than that of private universities (52.6%) and prefectural
universities (37.3%). Analyzing the results, the Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology concluded that it is easier
for larger universities or national universities, of which there
are more, to put the infrastructure in place.
(Nihon Keizai Shimbun, June)
-The Outlook of New Recruits-
To a survey conducted by the Japan Management Association on the
outlook of new recruits in fiscal year 2007, 680 respondents gave
the names of companies where they believe employees work with enthusiasm.
Toyota Motor Corp. secured the first place for three consecutive years,
cited by 12.4 percent (84 respondents), followed by Google (5.3 % or
36 respondents) and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (4.9 % or 33 respondents).
Fuji Television Network, Inc. and Sony Corp. which were previously
ranked second and third, respectively, have slipped off of the list.
As for favorite entrepreneurs, the late Konosuke Matsushita, the
founder of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. who ranked fifth
last year, came out on top this year. This suggests that new recruits
seem to pay attention to firms with good business performance.
The survey was conducted in late March to mid-April and addressed
to 1,200 new recruits of 52 firms who participated in a training
program given by the Association.
(Nihon Keizai Shimbun, July)
Special Issue
-Long Way to Go towards Gender-Equal Society-
At a Cabinet meeting held on June 19, the Government approved its
Fiscal Year 2007 Annual Report on the State of the Formation of a
Gender-Equal Society, which features an international comparison of
gender equality. According to the Gender Empowerment Measure, GEM,
which gauges gender inequality in terms of political and economic
activities and decision-making, Japan is ranked 42nd out of 75 countries.
Continued on;
http://www.jil.go.jp/english/archives/emm/2003/no.88/88_si.html
