A growing number of Japanese who died from overwork

Japantoday page news, the Labor Department data by the end of the month Japan 3/2015 showed that a total of 1,456 cases have a claim related to karoshi. Field compensation at most health, social services, transportation and construction. These occupations are in shortage of manpower.

The average labor demand in Japan is at its highest level since 1991 (1.28 on a job application) together with the country's labor laws lax enforcement have created loopholes for some businesses pressed workers, workers. This has led to tragic consequences.

Photo: News.

Mr. Hiroshi Kawahito, secretary general of the Association of lawyers defend karoshi victims, confirming the actual number is probably 10 times longer like that, but the government does not want to admit. "The government has organized numerous conferences, seminars and banners pasted on the matter extensively, but mostly just propaganda. It is imperative here is to reduce working hours for employees while the government has not come into focus, "said Hiroshi Kawahito added.

Japan has no legal provisions regarding working hours limit. However, the Ministry of Labour has recognized that there are two types of karoshi deaths due to cardiovascular overwork and suicide due to work stress. Since the 1980s, 95% of middle-aged men is karoshi, currently has about 20% are women.

A case of death due to cardiovascular karoshi considered when a person working overtime exceeding 100 hours a month or 80 hours in two consecutive months. Meanwhile, the case becomes karoshi suicide when they work more than 160 hours overtime a month, or more than 100 hours during three consecutive months.

Data from the Japanese Ministry of Labor said that the suicide rate related jobs under the age of 29 has increased by 45% in the past four years, while women increased by 39%. The problem has become more serious when the labor force of Japan had divided into two categories including full-time employees and employees with temporary contracts or non-standard. In 2015, informal workers accounted for 38% of the workforce, up from 20% since 1990, of which, 68% are women.

These workers receive commitments with working time standards, but they often have to work overtime at night and on weekends, especially unsupported salary. They have refused to work overtime, but the leaders are "comforted" by "trying to be an official employee". Also, many people accept fate as inexperienced and afraid to seek work elsewhere.

Hirokazu Ouchi, a professor at Chukyo University says Labor Ministry lacks the manpower to follow up on complaints about the rights of workers. Working-age population in Japan has been declining since the mid-1990s Typically, companies will have to improve working conditions to attract workers, but Ouchi said this did not happen. "Press laborers overwork is a way for companies to reduce labor costs, but it is also a path to death, destroy the people," he said Ouchi.