TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Economy and fiscal policy minister Akira Amari urged companies and labor unions on Tuesday to make efforts to improve working conditions for nonregular employees by employing them as so-called "limited regular workers."

The government has pledged in its economic growth strategy mapped out earlier this year to introduce the system of limited regular workers, whose job duties, work locations and business hours are limited.

The measure is expected to help decrease the number of nonregular employees that have been increasing over the past decade in Japan, but some experts and lawmakers have argued that rules on dismissal of such workers remain unclear, which may allow firms to fire them easily.

"It would be meaningful that regular workers will be aggressively created through various channels," Amari said during a meeting involving the government, business leaders and representatives from labor unions.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said improvement in the labor market would boost consumer spending and investment, in turn helping beat nearly two decades of deflation.

In the gathering Tuesday, business leaders, such as Noritoshi Murata, president of Seven & i Holdings Co., Japan's largest retailer, explained their efforts to improve working conditions for nonregular employees.

The service and construction industries have hired many nonregular workers.

From the government side, four ministers including Amari and Finance Minister Taro Aso participated in the meeting.

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This news was published on November 06, 2013.

Source: http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20131106p2g00m0bu033000c.html