Japón - Organising hampered by increased use of fixed-term contracts (2010)

The law stipulates that fixed-term contracts can be concluded for up to three years (and in exceptional cases up to five years is allowed for professionals). Employers frequently use this system in order to circumvent the legal provisions protecting workers on permanent contracts from dismissal, by only renewing the short-term contracts rather than converting them into permanent ones. The increased use of these contracts undermines regular employment and creates great obstacles to unions seeking to organise. Furthermore, the working conditions of fixed-term contract workers are inferior, mainly because most part-timers fall outside the scope of the rather limited Part-Time Work Law.