Japan to promote 5-day workweek in public works

April 28, 2018

Tokyo- The Japanese government plans to promote a five-day workweek system in public works as part of its work style reform initiative, informed sources have said.

Construction workers tend to work more than five days a week, as many are under pressure to shorten construction periods.

Currently, only less than 10 percent of construction projects in the country see workers take eight days off per four weeks, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

In fiscal 2018, which started this month, the ministry plans to pay up to 5 percent more in labor costs in state-managed public works projects if workers take two holidays a week.

The extra payment policy is aimed at preventing construction workers' incomes from falling on a rise in the number of holidays.

The government will also pay up to 4 percent more in construction machine rental costs.

The government boosted payments for costs to lease land plots for construction offices and personnel costs for construction supervisors in fiscal 2017. These payments will also be raised further.

The central government plans to encourage local governments to take such measures in their projects.

The construction industry faces an urgent need to improve the work environment in order to attract young workers, because many aged workers are set to retire in the near future.

Of the total skilled construction workers in the country, those between 15 and 29 account for 11 percent, far lower than the share of 25 percent for those aged 65 or more. Jiji Press