Dec 24 (New York Times) - Japan's trucking industry is a crucial cog in one of the world's largest economies, and it is the lifeblood of the Japanese culture of ultra-convenience. But it, and its drivers, are under immense strain.
To improve job conditions and make the work more appealing, the government is moving to cap overtime for the first time next year, easing the punishing hours that have long defined trucking in Japan.
Addressing that problem, however, will create others — potentially disrupting the nation's entire logistics system. It is unlikely that enough drivers of big rigs and delivery trucks can be hired anytime soon to make up for the lost overtime hours. The shortfall could leave supermarket shelves bare of some items and threaten the speedy door-to-door shipping — luggage to the airport, or golf clubs to and from the resort — to which Japanese people are accustomed.
The government is being spurred to action as workers in a range of industries push back against an extreme Japanese work culture that leaves little room for work-life balance and has even led to deaths from overwork.
