25 December, 2001

Tadayoshi KUSANO
General Secretary, RENGO

1. The government approved in today's cabinet meeting the outline of public servant system reform, which indicates a direction of the review on a current system of public servants. A revision bill will be drafted based on this outline during 2002. In the absence of consultation or negotiation with trade unions, the outline suggests to reduce the function of the National Personnel Authority function, strengthen the right of personnel management of the Cabinet and each ministry, and not restore fundamental workers' rights of public servants. At the General Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in June this year, the government committed to "examination based on sincere negotiation and consultation with related employees' organizations." This outline breaks this promise and should not be accepted at all.
   
   
2. Rengo completed in May this year "basic demands for public servant system reform and their fundamental workers' rights", including securing the rights to organize, bargain collectively and strike, establishing a fair personnel management system based on joint consultation between management-labour and abolishing the so-called career system and amakudari (the appointment of a former government official to a high position in governmental agencies). Rengo has made a request to realize these demands through the Government-Labour meeting, the Chief Cabinet Secretary and governing and opposition parties.
   
   
3. However, the government determined the outline without labor-management consultation, noting that it preceded a collective view of the government. The outline suggests reducing sharply the role of the National Personnel Authority, which is a compensatory mechanism for the absence of fundamental workersf rights, and strengthening only the personnel management authority of the Cabinet and each ministry, while maintaining the current restriction of fundamental rights. Moreover, it is going to aim at introducing a new ability and performance-oriented personnel management system on the basis of the principle that good work will be rewarded and bad work punished.
   
   The outline unilaterally concentrates and strengthens the authority of personnel management and does not accept fundamental workers' rights, which could be said to violate an ILO convention. The outline also forces to the introduction of a new performance-oriented personnel management system without having listened to voices of trade unions. It does not set to work on the abolishment of the career system and amakudari. It cannot be said to be a democratic reform of public servant system as called by the people.
   
   
4. The government will complete a draft bill of the revision of the National Public Service Law by the end of 2002 based on this outline and will aim at presenting it to the National Diet by the end of 2003. Rengo will proceed with preparation to file this case with the ILO and will work to realize consultation with trade unions for full respect to fundamental workers' rights and personnel management system agreeable both to the government and trade unions.