Lower House Passage by Tuesday Eyed for Japan Work Bill

May 25, 2018

Japan's ruling coalition is aiming to get a controversial work style reform bill to pass through the House of Representatives by Tuesday to ensure its enactment during the current regular session of the Diet, the country's parliament, which is set to end on June 20.

At an executive meeting of the Lower House's Committee on Health, Labor and Welfare on Thursday, Shuichi Takatori, chairman of the committee, decided by using his authority to put the bill to a vote at the panel on Friday, after major opposition parties raised objections to the voting schedule, which was proposed by the ruling camp.

The Lower House at a plenary meeting earlier on Thursday turned down a motion to dismiss Takatori, which was submitted by the opposition side on Wednesday, with the LDP, its Komeito ally and opposition Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) voting against it.

With only less than a month to go before the end of the Diet session, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, also LDP head, said, "In the remaining period, we'll do our best to enact important bills without fail."

In talks with reporters at the prime minister's office, Abe also said, "We'll work with a sense of tension to regain the public's trust," referring to a host of scandals facing his administration.

Diet affairs chiefs of five opposition parties, including the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, met on Thursday and shared their determination to block the Lower House committee's voting Friday on the work style reform bill, which amends existing bills concerned.

Measures available for the opposition camp are expected to include the submission of a no-confidence motion against Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Katsunobu Kato.

Meanwhile, executive members of the Lower House's Cabinet Committee agreed on Thursday to take a vote on a draft basic law on preventing and tackling gambling addiction and pass it on Friday for submission to the full Lower House within the day.

They also decided that the committee will hold discussions also Friday on a bill on the introduction and operations of casino-featuring integrated resorts in Japan.

At Thursday's plenary meeting, the Lower House passed legislation to implement a new Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact, with support from the LDP, Komeito and opposition parties including Nippon Ishin.

A bill to ratify the TPP among Japan and 10 other countries cleared the Lower House on May 18.

The ruling camp is aiming to get the ratification bill and related legislation through the House of Councillors, the upper chamber, for enactment during the current Diet session, to complete domestic procedures necessary for the enforcement of the TPP.

The related legislation includes assistance to livestock farmers seen facing tougher competition with foreign products after tariff cuts under the revised TPP. The 11 nations signed the new TPP in March, after the United States pulled out of the original TPP last year. Jiji Press