NHK-BS reported this afternoon that PM Abe expressed his intention at a Lower House Budget Committee meeting today to map out an action plan for labor reform by the end of this fiscal year in order to rectify long working hours and realize equal pay for equal work, and submit related bills to the ordinary Diet session next year. PM Abe reportedly said: “Reforming work styles is a pillar of structural reform. If we rectify long working hours, it will be easier for women and the elderly to find jobs and improve labor productivity. We also need to realize equal pay for equal work and fill the gap between regular and non-regular workers, which would expand the middle class and lead to higher consumption.”