Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2012, published 102nd ILC session (2013)

Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144) - Japan (Ratification: 2002)

Tripartite consultations required by the Convention. The Committee notes the Government’s detailed report on the application of the Convention for the period ending May 2012, which includes comments submitted by the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (JTUC–RENGO) in August 2012. The Committee welcomes the detailed summary of the tripartite meetings, held on 9 August and 8 September 2011 and 17 April 2012, on the matters covered by the Convention. JTUC–RENGO indicates that tripartite consultation based on Convention No. 144 has been held 18 times since 2003. It adds that through this tripartite consultation, however, no significant progress has been made by the Government towards the ratification of ILO Conventions, including core labour standards Conventions: the Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105), and the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111). In order to push forward ratification, JTUC–RENGO urges the Government to enhance effectiveness of the tripartite consultations by officially clarifying all the domestic laws and practices which should be amended, or opening discussions in the tripartite consultation to the public, or increasing the frequency of the tripartite consultations. The Committee invites the Government and the social partners to continue to report on measures taken to promote or improve tripartite consultations on international labour standards, as required by Convention No. 144, and to provide information on matters listed in Article 5(1) of the Convention, including the outcome of consultations held to re-examine the prospects of ratification of unratified ILO Conventions and any follow-up thereto (Article 5(1)(c)).

Representation of the social partners. The Committee notes the comments received from the National Confederation of Trade Unions (ZENROREN) and forwarded to the Government in September 2012. ZENROREN believes that it is necessary that both JTUC–RENGO and ZENROREN are represented in government consultative bodies, so that these tripartite bodies correctly reflect the voice of Japanese workers. It adds that among these bodies, only one member from ZENROREN affiliates is nominated to the Central Labour Relations Commission out of 15 workers’ representatives. As for matters relating to international labour standards, ZENROREN indicates that consultative meetings are held once or twice a year and include representatives from the Government, and employers’ and workers’ representatives. It further states that it is excluded from these meetings and asks for this policy to change. The Committee invites the Government to provide information with respect to the issues raised by ZENROREN.

[The Government is asked to reply in detail to the present comments in 2014.]