Ruling Bloc to Tell Soon Whether to Defer Work Style Reform Bills

February 23, 2018

Tokyo- Japan's ruling coalition said Friday that it will respond early next week to an opposition camp request to give up a plan to submit bills for so-called work style reform during the ongoing session of parliament, amid a controversy over related labor data.

The Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito coalition also plans to say after the weekend whether it will accept the opposition's demand for a fresh labor time survey, LDP Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai said at a meeting of senior officials from the ruling bloc and six opposition parties.

The House of Representatives Budget Committee decided at an executive meeting on Friday to hold an intensive session on the matter on Monday, attended by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

On Thursday, the labor ministry said that at least 117 data flaws have been found in its related labor survey report.

"There are suspicions that the data were manipulated," Akira Nagatsuma, acting head of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said at the ruling-opposition meeting on Friday. "More abnormal data could be found," he added.

"The government needs to respond in a credible manner," Nikai said. "It's also necessary for parliament to react in a way that convinces the people."

The Abe administration currently plans to submit work style reform bills, including an expanded discretionary work system, early next month, but not to conduct again the labor survey in question. Jiji Press