European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 28, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 the stars and stripes saturday december 28, 1985 where the work ethic reigns supreme by Sally Solo associated press l Abor unions and the government Bot agree that Long hours and Short vacations ate bad Loi workers and the country. But gelling japanese workers to accept the idea is proving no easy task. The maximum number of hours japanese can work in a week is 48, but in manufacturing industries the work week averages 43 hours. The nov.? announced in mid october that efforts would be Mode to give japanese 10 More Days of annual vacation Over the next live years. The plan Calls for emphasizing a five Day work week and encouraging labor and management to negotiate  in paid vacation so that japanese Wilt have More time to spend As Consumers. Similar campaigns before this were not successful. In 1980. When japanese worked an average 2,108 hours a year the labor ministry set a five year goal of reducing that figure to 2,000 hours. But in 1984, the japanese averaged 2,116 hours on the Job. While their american British West German and French counterpart were putting in 1,700 to 1900 hours when japanese Banks and financial institutions started m August 1983 to close one saturday a month it Vas expected that a s2cond saturday Oil would follow perhaps by August 1985. Now the goal Lor the second saturday is August 1986. Hiroki Kambayashi an official of the labor ministry Bureau in charge of the new Campaign said in an interview. The economic growth rate dropped and with it dropped the Tempo of the drive toward work Hou reduction. If managers wanted to raise productivity they had no margin for shortening hours shortening noun is a life or death problem Lor Small companies and retail shops labor minister Toshio Yamaguchi recently told reporters. A said he will personally visit All 47 of Japan s prefectures states to promote the reduced work week which he said is essential to keep the Economy buoyant adjust to a rapidly aging work Cree and give the japanese More free time and e Bow room to do things by themselves " up to now. The ministry has been summoning business representatives who listened politely and did today s crossword new Yor times photo the japanese work week averages 43 hours. Not act. Kambayashi said. But this time there Are plans to Appeal directly to the Public through newspaper articles and television programs on the Virtues of Leisure. According to ministry statistics just under Hall of Japan s corporations of 1,000 employees or More gave workers two Day weekends in 1983. Only 32 percent of companies employing fewer than 100 people went by the same system. Yamaguchi said labor mints by employees get every other saturday Oil although he works 15-16 hours a Day with considerable time going to impressing others on the need to work less. Other government initiatives in the works include adding a National Holiday the Day of Green and Flowers to a string of holidays that run irom the emperor s birthday april 29 to children s Day May 5. A committee is also studying a Law to make 45 hours rather than the current 48, the maximum work week and raise minimum paid vacation Days to 10 irom six but committee head Junichi Okazaki cautioned against High expectations Lor change. Many believe this is a matter to be worked out Between managers and workers and question what can be done by a Law he said in an interview. The country Margatt labor federation Soho adopted a Quality of life theme in its Spring wage negotiations this year citing the need for stronger family ties. But Akra Sham leu chief of Soho s labor policy department said. Not everyone is unionized particularly the Small firms so a Law is  one problem is thai workers tend not to use their vacation time. Older workers worry that their absence will put a Burden on others while younger employees seeking to move up the corporate ladder want to show dedication to the Job by shunning vacations. Overall workers were Given 14.8 Days paid vacation in 1983. On average they look Only b.8. Some companies shut Down factories for a week during the summer giving employees no Choice but to rest. By Eugene Sheffer across i r Anil 4 a int h faint 20 Ilii Shini 23 i camera 24 Loke 25 Yoko 26 Hospital scanner 27 Knight s address 28 puss 29 part or mpg 31 Street Vendor 32 ship s cooler 34 Marseilles month 35 chore 36 defeat decisively 37 craps natural 38 part of a Caesar an 39 Aswan s River 40 stick stuff 41 commanded 42 i Lyllo 12-28 43 th0 Kins to yesterday s Puzzle 44 Type 12-28 Hubert uhf gig Orji wm5n Najr Gram data a wat a. I c3et5 in prompt of Tup