TOKYO -- The Japanese government will require companies to provide equal pay to foreign construction workers admitted under a special training program, part of efforts to deflect criticism that the system has become a means of obtaining cheap labor.

The Ministry of Land and Infrastructure will release as soon as early August the specific requirements for construction companies in hiring foreign workers under the government-backed initiative.

Foreigners can currently work in Japan for up to three years under the Technical Intern Training Program, which was created to transfer technological and trade skills to developing countries. The period will be extended by two years from next fiscal year for those who successfully complete the initial program, a move aimed at alleviating worker shortages in the construction sector. Workers who return to their home countries after the original three-year period can also re-enter Japan and work for two to three more years.

The new rules will apply to those taking advantage of the two-year extension after initial training. Interns currently working at construction sites are sometimes paid 30-40% less than their Japanese co-workers. The ministry believes those who have acquired necessary skills should receive equal pay.

Business organizations overseeing the program will help create a mechanism to ensure that those workers are paid the same, if not more, than their Japanese counterparts with similar skills. If the workers are not appropriately compensated, they can pursue employment at other companies. Employers will also be inspected at least once every three months to ensure the working conditions and safety standards meet requirements.

Many in Japan and abroad criticize the training program as a front for securing cheap labor. The government hopes to quell these concerns by bridging the gap between the treatment of Japanese and foreign workers.

(Nikkei)