Photo/Illutration Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers attend a meeting of the party’s special committee on foreign workers on Feb. 5. (Kazumichi Kubota)

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party approved a government plan to allow foreign nationals to switch workplaces after one to two years under a new system that will replace the Technical Intern Training Program.

The plan was approved by a related LDP division on Feb. 5 and the government intends to submit a relevant bill to the current ordinary Diet session.

Each industry will be allowed to set a minimum working period between one and two years for some time after the new system starts, government officials said.

Transfers will be limited to workplaces within the same industry.

Each industry will set standards of Japanese language proficiency and require foreign workers to pass a test before changing workplaces.

In principle, transferring between workplaces has not been allowed for three years under the Technical Intern Training Program so that interns can systemically learn skills at one place.

However, critics have pointed out that foreign interns who are treated poorly face great difficulties changing workplaces, which has led to human rights violations and disappearances of trainees. 

A review of transfer restrictions has been a key point of contention in designing the system that will replace the Technical Intern Training Program.

While a government expert panel proposed a minimum working period of “more than one year” in November, the LDP called for “two years” the following month.

Since January, the government has argued that Japan should eventually adopt a one-year requirement to protect workers’ rights and asked for understanding from members of the LDP’s special committee on foreign workers.

The LDP agreed to an interim measure under which each industry can initially set a minimum working period between one and two years.

The government will consider making employers that require foreign workers to stay more than a year to improve their working conditions after the one-year period. 

The government also plans to strengthen statutory penalties to keep out brokers who illicitly poach foreign workers or encourage their transfers.

Nonprofit supervisory organizations will mainly engage in the mediation of transfers, and the involvement of private-sector employment agencies will not be permitted for the time being.

Even now, transfers are allowed regardless of the length of employment if there are unavoidable circumstances, such as workplace human rights violations and management reasons, but critics have said the requirements are unclear.

The government cited discrepancies between the contract and actual working conditions as one acceptable reason for transfer, and plans to clarify the requirements further in the future.

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