"金上げ労働時間減らそう全労連・国民春闘など東京・新宿で宣伝," 16 November 2025

[Unofficial description by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre]

The National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren), the Joint Struggle Committee for the People's Shunto, and the Central Liaison Council on Labour Legislation criticised Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s instruction to consider easing working-hour regulations. They appealed instead for the realisation of shorter working hours, such as a seven-hour workday and increased days off. In response to their petition, people commented: “In my previous job, I worked 14 hours a day and quit because I was exhausted,” and “It’s hard to balance work and university. I want my hourly wage raised so I can work fewer hours.”

Representatives from various unions and organisations also spoke out: “In the mass media industry… workers cannot control workload or deadlines, leading to long working hours”; “It is wrong that women end up bearing all the housework and childcare because we get home so late”; “Teachers are working overtime at levels that reach the ‘karoshi (death from overwork) line’…”; and “Applications and approvals for workers’ compensation due to overwork are sharply increasing, and allowing even longer working hours is unthinkable.”