Like many other academics around Japan, a male researcher at the Riken research institute feels an increasing sense of crisis that he will be laid off after his employment contract ends in March 2023.

The researcher, who has his own lab, contends that "serious damage" would be caused to Japan's academic performance through the impending loss of talented minds like his. 

“I would have to suspend my accumulated research halfway,” said the researcher. “It is unacceptable that I will be forced out despite my study progression and achievements. I cannot help but think researchers are being treated like disposable items.”

He argued that many research fellows failing to find jobs in Japan would go to China and elsewhere overseas, raising concerns about a brain drain.

Concerns are growing about the possibility of hundreds of academics losing their fixed-term jobs at national universities and other research institutes at the end of March 2023 because of the employment rule originally meant to improve researchers' working environment.

The rule enables researchers under fixed-term contracts to switch to unlimited-term contracts after they have engaged in studies at the same workplaces for a total of 10 years.  

But it is feared that many of the employers will force out researchers eligible for permanent positions under the 10-year rule to curb personnel costs when the government reins in subsidies for state-run colleges. 

Tomoko Tamura, a lawmaker from the Japanese Communist Party, expressed her concern saying, “A fatal blow would be dealt to Japan’s research and development segment.”

While imposing limits on working periods does not constitute a legal violation by itself, Tamura took up the employment crisis at an Upper House Cabinet Committee session on May 17.

“Fear about many (researchers) being stripped of their jobs has yet to be dispelled,” Tamura noted.

DAY OF RECKONING COMING IN MARCH 2023

Brought into force in April 2013, a revision to the Labor Contracts Law stipulates limited-term workers whose total employment periods have topped five years can ask to be hired as permanent workers and employers must meet their requests, in principle.

Since research projects last longer, another law that took effect in April 2014 states academics can demand to be given permanent posts after they have worked under limited-term contracts for a total of 10 years.

The starting point for reckoning for the earliest individuals covered under the 10-year rule is set in April 2013, when the amended Labor Contracts Law took effect, so researchers working on fixed-term contracts since April 2013 will become eligible for unlimited-term contracts in March 2023.

Colleges’ labor unions and other parties are thus voicing concern that school operators may dismiss hordes of academics, instead of hiring them as permanent staffers under the 10-year rule. 

According to the findings of the survey by the education ministry, 3,099 will see their working periods reach 10 years at the end of March 2023 at all the 86 national universities and four inter-university research institutes.

Of these, the employment caps for 1,672 are specified as 10 years. By university, the largest number, 346, is reported at the University of Tokyo, followed by 236 for Tohoku University, 206 for Nagoya University and 126 for Osaka University.

Previously, Tohoku University laid off 300 clerical workers with five-year caps on contracts in spring 2018.

Satoshi Katayama, head of the executive committee of the labor union comprised of the university’s staff, is highly alarmed at the school’s future decision over the long-anticipated risk of many researchers being given the boot.

“The system to secure employment stability is exploited as an excuse for letting employees go,” Katayama said. “The college operator should have them switch to non-limited positions in line with the system’s initial objective.”

Tohoku University stated that its full-time staff members with limited-time status “may be re-employed as permanent ones” via screening with details of their work taken into account.

The ministry said 657 people at five other research institutions under its jurisdiction will have alike worked under fixed-term agreements for 10 years in March 2023. The ceiling for 317 is 10 years, and most of them, or 296, belong to Riken.

Harumi Takahashi, the parliamentary vice minister for education, culture, sports, science and technology, pledged to strengthen efforts against the challenge.

“We will again notify university operators thoroughly of the appropriate administration of the rule about the switch to permanent employment,” Takahashi said.

A research center has already been moving to rewarding its non-regular staffers with unlimited-period posts.

An official in charge of human resources at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology said contracts will be renewed for 422 people who will have done research there for a decade through the end of this fiscal year if they want it.

ERODING NATION’S RESEARCH CAPABILITY

Eisuke Enoki, head of a group looking into issues involving scientific policies, who is knowledgeable about difficulties in academic careers, pointed out that younger researchers are victimized by the temporary employment problem much more frequently.

“Competition for posts has gone so far these days that personnel relocations associated with promotions cannot be made with ease,” Enoki said. “As a result, younger people are just forced to change positions again and again.”

Though their actual ages are not disclosed, mainly younger researchers and engineers are believed to be losing their jobs at Tohoku University.

Enoki said the tendency can make fewer young individuals feel like studying in doctoral courses of universities, weakening their research abilities.

More people working under limited-term contracts is considered to have advantages in academia, such as heightening employment flexibility, creating healthy competition and generating an even more lively research atmosphere.

Some negatives, at the same time, are seen in connection with the difficulties in settling down and conducting research or developing long-term life plans.

“I do not think fixed-term employment is bad, but I cannot concentrate on research unless I am put in a stable position,” said the researcher at Riken. “We need to start especially on basic research with no clear prospects for success, so an environment is essential where research can be steadily carried out.”

Enoki said the advantages of permanent employment appear to outweigh the disadvantages, including the emergence of less competitive working conditions and a less fluid labor market. 

“At least as of now, it (making many as permanent staff) looks better for researchers to focus on their research activities and produce remarkable achievements in a relaxed manner,” he said.

(This article was written by Jun Miura, Ryuichiro Fukuoka, Yu Fujinami and Hisatoshi Kabata.)