Since a bill was compiled based on data in which flaws have been found, it was inevitable that the government has given up on the legislation during the current session of the Diet. The government must reorganize its efforts as early as possible.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has announced a policy to remove items regarding expanding the discretionary work system from a package of work style reform bills to be submitted to the Diet. Referring to flawed data compiled by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, Abe said: "I accepted it [the revelation] seriously. After understanding the actual situation, we'll discuss it again."
Abe seemingly aimed to prevent the flawed data compilation from causing further damage to the management of government, although what was intended by the bill itself is not erroneous.
In connection with a fact-finding survey of labor hours in fiscal 2013, sets of data based on different premises were compared. Based on the survey, Abe answered in Diet interpellations that there are cases in which labor hours of the persons working under the discretionary work system are shorter than those recorded by general workers. He later withdrew the reply.
Anomalous numerical values were discovered in more than 400 items in the survey. Sloppy handling of the data is too much to tolerate. In addition to investigating the cause of the error, the labor ministry should thoroughly take measures to prevent a recurrence of the mishandling. All possible steps must be taken when a new survey is conducted.
Under the discretionary labor system, wages are paid regardless of actual working hours while presuming that workers work for a predetermined number of hours. Taking into consideration the diversification of work, the system is designed to promote efficient ways of working. The presumed working hours are decided by labor and management by taking into consideration the volume of work.
Objective, accurate data vital
Opposition parties' criticism that the discretionary work system "encourages long working hours" is too one-sided a view.
The government will submit to the Diet a set of bills related to work style reform as early as within this month. It plans to incorporate such reform measures as setting an upper limit on overtime, rectifying the differences in the treatment of regular and non-regular workers, adopting equal pay for equal work and institutionalizing a post-hourly wage system in which those in high-income professional careers will be removed from restrictions on working hours.
Prime Minister Abe has positioned the current Diet as a "session for work style reform." Amid the decline in the workforce, it is essential to arrange a comfortable work environment and have this lead to improvement of productivity. The government needs to prepare objective and correct data that could be conducive to coolheaded debate on work style reform.
The opposition parties have denounced the proposal to adopt a post-hourly wage system as "a major change for the worse that could trigger karoshi [death from overwork]." Making blind assumptions that unnecessarily fuel anxiety is unproductive. They are called on to present concrete counterproposals and hold constructive debate with the government.
Full-scale deliberations on the fiscal 2018 budget, totaling about 97.7 trillion yen in the general account, have started in the House of Councillors after it was approved by the House of Representatives.
Diet deliberations have so far concentrated on such issues as the discretionary work system and the sale of national land to Moritomo Gakuen.
The ruling and opposition parties must deepen debate on such major issues as how to strike a balance between economic revitalization and fiscal reconstruction and deal with North Korea's nuclear and missile development.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 2, 2018)
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