Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2013, published 103rd ILC session (2014)

Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102) - Japan (Ratification: 1976)

The Committee notes the Government’s report of 2012 containing its reply to the direct request of 2007, as well as the new comments made by the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (JTUC–RENGO). In this regard, the Committee notes with satisfaction the adoption of Act No. 62 of 2012 to amend the National Pension Act and other related acts, providing a basis for a better application of Part V (Old-age benefit) of the Convention on the following points:

• -Section 3 of the Act allows part-time workers in enterprises employing 500 workers or more to join the Employees’ Pension Insurance under certain eligibility conditions. An estimated 250,000 part-time workers would benefit from this amendment which, moreover, requires the Government to take a legislative measure to relax this eligibility condition by March 2019, to cover more part-time workers.
• -The qualifying period of the basic old-age pension, established by section 26 of the National Pension Act, will be reduced from 25 to ten years; this amendment will enter into force in October 2015.

The Committee hopes that in its next report the Government will provide more detailed explanations on these amendments.