The Minister of Labour consulted the Central Labour Standards Council about the Labour Standard Law Amendment Bill and the Council requested that provisions that had been identified necessary to be further discussed in the process of the Council's examination should be taken into due consideration while setting a government ordinance. And it attached to its comments the opinion of the workers' members on several points of the Bill.

The Bill has been set in principle based on the examination of the Council. The workers' members strongly request the following points to be accomplished by the 1 April 1999 when the Equal Employment Opportunities Law is in force:

1. Over time working hours should not exceed 360 hours per year for time being and 150 hours from the year of 2001. In addition, the Law should clearly regulate the limit of holiday work and night work.
2. The Council should continue the examination on the scope of businesses subject to discretion work. The extension of term of validity of an Industrial Relations Commissions' decision and the agreement of parties concerned on the extension should not be subject to the guideline, but to the decision of the Commissions.
3. It should be regulated by the Law that contracted working hours during the period of irregular working time arrangement be less than those for regular working places should.

Rengo will continue putting forward the following requests, in particular those that are not satisfied in the Bill by lobbying in the Diet:

1. To regulate overtime, holiday and night work.
2. To regulate the application of discretion work to office workers.
3. To reduce contracted working hours accompanying the deregulation of the limit of the daily and weekly irregular working hours.
4. To regulate the repetition employment contract with terms.

To create an environment where both men and women can actively participate in working and family lives and a social system respecting the principle of "justice, fairness, equality and participation", Rengo never accepts the cut in total labour costs and the deregulation of labour standards. It makes its best effort to go on with the Spring Struggle leading to the promotion of working conditions and workers' rights.