Urgent Call to Stop Job Interviews for Temp Workers ～ Japan Bar Association Demands Dispatch Law Revision

A rally to demand revision of Japan’s Dispatch Law was help on March 5 at Sohyo Kaikan in Tokyo to call for protecting the rights of the temp workers. Japan’s Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry is aiming to win agreement from the Cabinet on the Dispatch Law revision. However, the Social Democratic Party of Japan and the New Party of the government have been criticizing the proposed revisions by saying that the new proposals are backward from the “three-party agreement” reached with the Democratic Party of Japan when they were on opposition coalition. While some credit the proposals, others are concerned that the revisions fail to regulate the outsourcing companies. The proposals allow companies to require job interviews from temp workers even though the outsourcing companies have the hiring responsibilities. If job interviews are allowed, the companies that offer jobs would have to bear hiring responsibilities. (By Toru Sakai)

事前面接解禁に危惧の声～労働弁護団が派遣法改正求め集会
　労働者保護の派遣法改正の実現をめざす集会が3月5日に、「連合」本部などのある総評会館で開催された。厚生労働省は現在、労働者派遣法の改正案をまとめて閣議決定を目指しているが、連立与党に加わる社会民主党や国民新党からは、「野党時代に民主党とまとめた『3党案』から後退した内容になっている」と批判の声が出ており、閣議決定までにはなお曲折が予想されている。会議では改正案を「総論的には評価できる」との声もあった一方で、雇用責任を負わない派遣先による採用介入（事前面接）の解禁などが含まれていることなどを危惧する意見も相次いだ。（酒井徹）