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Abolish the overtime restrictions!

In my recent blog (titled "The Future is Dark for Osaka Expo and Sapporo Olympics" (dated July 7th)), I wrote that the Osaka Expo, scheduled to be held in 2025, is in a big pinch as to whether it can be held as scheduled. The reason is that construction of pavilions, which about 50 countries and regions, including the United States and the Netherlands, will build at their own expense, has been delayed (applications for building permits have not yet been submitted to Osaka City, even though there is only 1 year and 8 months until the opening), and the government has begun to take measures such as requesting participating countries to simplify the design and increase the budget. Meanwhile, the hosting Expo Association has considered setting up a new office to handle ordering work for overseas pavilions, and covering the costs of temporary facilities that construction companies will use jointly during the construction period. However, there has been no progress, and if things continue as they are, it is highly likely that the construction will not be completed by the opening.

Therefore, as a last resort, the Expo Association has requested the government not to apply the upper limit on overtime work that will be introduced in the construction industry from April next year. Preparations for the construction of the overseas pavilions have been delayed, and it was deemed necessary to accelerate the construction. On the other hand, there is a risk that it will go against the government's work style reforms and will invite backlash, so it is unclear whether it will be realized. This work style reform (limitation of overtime work) was decided to be introduced in the revised Labor Standards Act that came into effect in 2019. The construction industry has a five-year grace period, and it is called the "2024 problem." In principle, overtime work exceeding 360 hours per year will not be possible from April next year, and even if labor and management agree, it will be limited to 720 hours per year.

In response to the request from the Expo Association, a government official said, "We don't know if it will be realized, but we have to think about it," indicating his intention to proceed with careful consideration. The chairman of the Japan Federation of Construction Contractors, which represents the general contractors in charge of the construction, said, "At this stage, we cannot ask you to put the 2024 problem on hold," but added, "It has to be kept in mind," but the situation has become so dire. Even so, general contractors have been repeatedly warning the Expo Association about the delays in the construction of the pavilion since last year, but the Expo Association has done almost nothing to address the issue, and has made an unreasonable demand to the government to "abolish (exempt from) the upper limit on overtime work." Rather than the general contractors being to blame, it is all down to the Expo Association's incompetence and lack of planning.

In the first place, the upper limit on overtime work was decided with consideration for people's physical and mental health, such as death from overwork and depression, and it is out of the question to abolish the upper limit just for the sake of "hosting the Expo" (a delayed recovery). There are provisions that allow for special, temporary exemptions from the application of this regulation only in emergency and absolutely necessary cases such as disaster recovery and lifesaving, but if we allow exceptions (exemptions) for "festival events" like the Expo, we will have to allow them for everything, and there will be no end to it. Even the government is of the view that the Expo does not fall under this exception, and if the upper limit is to be abolished, the Labor Standards Act will need to be revised. Rather than going to such lengths to abolish the upper limit on overtime work, it would be better to abolish the Expo itself (give up on holding the Expo).

As I mentioned in my previous blog, the Expo site is located on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay, and an integrated resort (IR) including not only the Expo but also the casino is currently under construction, aiming to open in 2029. Both the Expo and the casino (IR) have been pushed forward by the Japan Restoration Party, but there are many people who oppose them. In addition, regarding the delay in the construction of the pavilion, the construction work of the pavilion "Japan Pavilion" where the Japanese government will exhibit has also been delayed, and the government switched to discretionary contracting. As a result, it is likely that construction costs will increase, resulting in a huge amount of "waste money," and it is becoming a "cursed Osaka Expo" like the previous Tokyo Olympics.

"Olympic corruption" and "Olympic collusion" have become rampant in the Tokyo Olympics, and the Olympics itself has become a hundred times more harmful than beneficial. The World Expo has been showing similar trends to the Olympics, and it may be time to reconsider the event, including considering its abolition.