[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe received a visit from Mr. Rikio Kozu, President of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (RENGO), and Mr. Sadayuki Sakakibara, Chairman of Keidanren, at the Prime Minister's Office.

The Prime Minister said in his address,

“Today an agreement was reached between RENGO and Keidanren on regulating the maximum hours of overtime work. This represents a historic and major reform in the 70-year history of the Labor Standards Law.

I think it is groundbreaking that the labor community and the business community have reached an agreement today with the strong desire to eliminate deaths due to overworking. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Chairman Sakakibara and President Kozu for the great efforts they have made to reach this agreement.

The current agreement sets the standard value for the maximum hours of overtime work per month at 100 hours. A moment ago, I requested that the Chairman and President consider moving toward a value of less than 100 hours. Based on today’s agreement, the Government, labor, and management will compile an action plan and present a draft at the next meeting of the Council for the Realization of Work Style Reform. I want to compile an effective action plan sometime in March.

While the agreement this time is a major step forward, it is merely the first step. Concerning the maximum limit agreed to today, it goes without saying that everyone needs to continue to do their utmost to shorten the number of hours worked. To that end, the Government will take care of the legislative aspects of this matter, and make it a requirement that companies strive to maintain certain intervals of free time between the end of one workday and the start of the next. I am determined to continue to work ceaselessly toward further work style reform.”