JAPAN TODAY


 

TOKYO — Workers at Yamato Transport Co have asked the delivery service firm to limit the volume of packages accepted from clients amid labor shortages, sources close to negotiations between management and labor said Thursday.

The two sides will negotiate ways to deal with tough working conditions, particularly delivery truck drivers’ long working hours, in this year’s spring wage talks as the growth of online shopping services has led to a surge in the number of parcels.

The number of packages Yamato Transport handled in the last business year ended March 2016 reached a record 1.73 billion and the figure is likely to further increase in the current year.

The labor union is asking the management to maintain the package volume for the next fiscal year starting in April at the current year’s level, the sources said.

The company may ask major clients such as Internet retailers to accept a hike in shipping charges. Yamato may be forced to reduce the number of packages accepted from such clients if they cannot agree on a charge hike.
Some of its services may come under review such as nighttime redeliveries to ease the burden on truck drivers, they said.

The workers are also demanding that the company introduce a system to ensure sufficient time off between work shifts.

Earlier this year, Yamato Holdings Co, the parent of Yamato Transport, slashed its group net profit projection for the current year ending March to 34 billion yen ($300 million) from its previous estimate of 39 billion yen on the back of rising personnel costs and outsourcing fees due to manpower shortages.



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