最近非正規社員の労働形態が問題になっている。1980年ごろまでは正社員と非正規社員という分け方は定着していなかった。なぜなら就職と言えば正社員が当然で、短時間労働者はアルバイトあるいはパートと呼ばれていたが、彼らは自ら望んでその働き方を選んでいた。80年代半ばから（注）フリーターという概念が入り込むようになった。最初は企業に縛られたくない労働者側の要求に応えた形として広がった部分もある。しかしバブル崩壊後は企業側の都合で多くの非正規社員が生まれた。非正規社員は、2009年には約1760万人34％にもなった。特に若年層の非正規労働者は10代後半では70％にも上り、問題化している。このまま放っておくことはできない。 非正規社員の契約は様々だが、いずれにせよその身分は大変不安定だ。それに比べて正社員は簡単に解雇されないので身分が安定している。賃金や福利厚生面でも恵まれている。企業は正社員のコストは減少できないので安い非正規労働者の採用を進めている。彼らの存在は企業にとって大変便利だ。企業は①労働力の調整弁を手に入れたと言える。非正規社員は正社員と全く同じ仕事をしていても正社員よりずっと安い賃金で働かされている。正社員（正職員を含める）の賃金を100としたときの雇用形態間格差をみると、企業規模別では、大企業が54、産業別では、卸売・小売業、不動産業、複合サービス事業が56と賃金格差が大きいことがわかる。非正規社員は年齢が上がっても賃金の上昇がほとんどないことが原因の1つになっていると思われる。 最近非正規社員を雇用するデメリットを考え、全員を正社員にする会社も出てきた。技術の伝承ができなかったり、意欲の低下、責任感の不足など非正規社員の増加により生じた問題を解決するためだ。また労働組合も彼らの問題は自分たち正規社員とは関係がないと無視していたが、非正規社員の急増にやっと重い腰を上げるようになった。非正規社員の劣悪な労働条件をそのままにしておいては、いずれは自分たちの労働条件も引き下げられたり、正社員が非正規に取って代わられる可能性があるからだ。この動きがうまく機能しなければ将来は悲惨だ。労働者が能力を高められるように政府を含めた社会全体が支援することが大事だ。収入が少ない人や失業者が増えることは社会不安を増大させ、犯罪が増加することにもなるからだ。早急に対策を立て実行しなければならない時期が来ている。
Recently, the employment forms of non-regular workers have become an issue. Until around 1980, the distinction between regular and non-regular employees had not yet become established. This was because 'employment' naturally implied regular full-time positions, while short-hour workers were called part-timers or casual workers, and they had chosen this way of working of their own volition. From the mid-1980s, the concept of 'freeters' began to emerge. Initially, it spread partly as a response to the demands of workers who did not want to be bound by companies.
However, after the bubble burst, many non-regular employees were created due to corporate convenience. By 2009, non-regular employees had reached approximately 17.6 million, accounting for 34%. In particular, the proportion of non-regular workers among the young is a growing concern, reaching as high as 70% in the late teens. We cannot simply leave this situation as it is. While the contracts of non-regular employees vary, their status is inherently unstable in any case. In contrast, regular employees are not easily dismissed, ensuring a stable status. They also enjoy better wages and benefits.
Since companies cannot reduce the costs of regular employees, they are promoting the hiring of cheaper non-regular workers. Their presence is very convenient for companies. It can be said that companies have gained a valve for adjusting their workforce. Non-regular employees are paid much lower wages than regular employees, even when they perform exactly the same work.
When examining the disparity in employment forms with the wages of regular employees (including full-time staff) set at 100, it is evident that by company size, large enterprises show a gap of 54, and by industry, wholesale/retail, real estate, and composite service businesses show a gap of 56, indicating significant wage disparities. One of the reasons is believed to be that the wages of non-regular employees hardly increase with age. Recently, some companies have considered the disadvantages of employing non-regular staff and have decided to convert all employees to regular status.
This is to address the problems arising from the increase in non-regular employees, such as the inability to pass on technical knowledge, declining motivation, and a lack of a sense of responsibility. Furthermore, while labor unions had previously ignored these issues, claiming they were unrelated to their regular employees, they have finally started to take action due to the sharp rise in non-regular workers. This is because if the poor working conditions of non-regular employees are left unaddressed, it could eventually lead to a deterioration of their own working conditions or the possibility of regular employees being replaced by non-regular ones.
If this trend does not work well, the future will be disastrous. It is crucial that society as a whole, including the government, supports workers in enhancing their capabilities. An increase in low-income individuals and unemployed people will exacerbate social unrest and lead to a rise in crime. It is time to take prompt action and implement necessary measures.
