改正派遣法成立 雇用安定の実効性は高まるか

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Will revised worker dispatch law lead to stable employment, better jobs?
改正派遣法成立　雇用安定の実効性は高まるか

The revised worker dispatch law, one of the main issues at the current Diet session, was enacted Friday by a majority vote supported by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, its junior coalition partner Komeito and others. The revised law comes into force on Sept. 30.
　今国会の焦点の一つだった改正労働者派遣法が自民、公明両党などの賛成多数で成立した。３０日に施行される。

It is important to use the amendment to steadily achieve stable employment and better working conditions for dispatched workers.
　派遣労働者の雇用安定と処遇改善に着実につなげることが大切だ。

A main feature of the revised law is the removal of the effective time limit on companies’ use of temporary labor.
　改正法は、企業が派遣労働者を受け入れられる期間の制限を事実上なくすことが柱である。

The existing law limits the use of dispatched workers to a maximum of three years, to protect regular employees’ jobs. It excludes 26 job categories, including secretaries, from this rule, but the revised law abolishes these exceptions and allows companies to extend the use of temporary workers in all categories following talks with labor unions and other parties.
　従来は、正社員の仕事を守るため、受け入れ期間を最長３年に制限してきた。秘書など２６の専門業務は例外だったが、改正法では、この区分を廃止し、全業務で労働組合などの意見を聞けば、企業は期間を延ばせるようにした。

However, the revised law also sets a three-year limit on individual dispatched employees working in the same post, in principle, from the viewpoint of having them experience various jobs and improve their skills.
　一方、個々の派遣労働者については、様々な仕事を経験して技能向上を図る観点から、同じ職場で働く期間を原則３年までとする新たな制限を設ける。

The revised law further obliges temporary staffing companies to help temporary workers improve their careers through such measures as training programs, and work to stabilize their employment through such steps as asking companies to hire them directly.
　派遣会社に対しては、計画的な教育訓練など派遣労働者のキャリアアップ支援や、派遣先への直接雇用の依頼といった雇用安定措置を義務づけた。

We think the content of the revised law is appropriate, as it aims to enhance the so-far insufficient protection of dispatched workers, based on the reality that people today work in a variety of ways. It will also make it easier for companies to use dispatched workers.
　働き方の多様化を踏まえ、手薄だった派遣労働者の保護を強化する改正案は、妥当な内容である。企業が派遣労働者を活用しやすくなる利点もある。

However, people doing specialist jobs, who can work longer under the existing law, will have to change their posts every three years under the revised one. Many are afraid that their contracts will be terminated. The government should monitor the activities of companies using dispatched workers and temporary staff agencies, and urge them to try to stabilize employment of temporary workers.
　これまで長く働けた専門業務の人も、３年で職場を変わることになる。「雇い止め」の不安を抱く人は多い。政府は、派遣先や派遣会社の動向を注視し、雇用安定への努力を促すべきだ。

Protection for temp workers

During Diet deliberations, the ruling coalition parties claimed that the amendment would open a way for temporary workers to become regular employees and better their working conditions, but the opposition strongly protested that it would increase the number of people who permanently remain dispatched workers.
　国会審議では、政府・与党が「正社員への道を開き、処遇改善を図るもの」と強調したのに対し、民主など野党は「一生派遣」が増える、と強く反発した。

The House of Councillors passed 39 supplementary resolutions regarding the revised law, reflecting the demands of the opposition parties. This convinced the opposition parties to stop their battle — they had resorted to force, preventing the chair of the Health, Labor and Welfare Committee from entering the conference hall before voting at the House of Representatives.
　改正法には、野党の主張を取り入れた３９項目に上る付帯決議が参院で採択された。その結果、衆院厚生労働委員会で、採決前に委員長の入室を妨害するなど「実力行使」に出た野党も矛を収めた。

The additional resolutions urge the government to restrict the amount temporary staffing companies earn for acting as an intermediary, and give instructions to companies that are unwilling to directly hire dispatched workers. These issues should be studied.
　付帯決議は、派遣会社が得る「マージン」に関する規制や、派遣労働者の直接雇用に消極的な派遣先への指導などを求めている。検討すべき課題だ。

The revised law requires every temporary staffing company to obtain government authorization. Some companies are currently allowed to operate just by registering with authorities concerned.
　改正法では、一部で認めていた派遣会社の届け出制を廃止し、全てを許可制とした。

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry will deal strictly with temporary staffing companies that fail to provide their workers with occupational and other training, including rescinding their authorization. Whether the ministry is capable of doing that is key to the viability of the revised law.
　教育訓練などを怠った業者に対し、許可取り消しも含めて厳しく指導監督する。厚生労働省にその能力があるかどうかが、改正法の実効性を確保するカギを握る。

If the authorization system functions effectively, temporary staffing companies that only offer low costs will be eliminated. We hope the fostering of quality temporary staffing companies will cause dispatched work to become established in our society as an opportunity to improve people’s careers.
　許可制が有効に機能すれば、低コストのみが売り物の業者は淘汰とうたされよう。良質な業者を育てることで、派遣労働をキャリアアップの機会として定着させたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 12, 2015)