Hello, everyone.

This is Enta.

While the world is in a state of self-restraint due to the coronavirus, our slope maintenance industry seems largely unaffected and is continuing to operate as usual.

That’s especially true for slope stabilization work, which is mainly carried out in mountainous areas.

However, you need to be especially careful when you go shopping, for example.

That's because we, the slope engineers and anchor specialists, work as a team.

 

If anyone on the team contracts an infectious disease, it will disrupt teamwork and affect the production process.

And there's a chance that everyone else will end up getting worn out because of the people who have left.

Depending on the type of work, missing a step occasionally may not have much of an impact, but it does affect the process to some extent.

 

These days, there are quite a few job sites that offer a two-day weekend, so there are some where we can get proper rest, but the project schedule is falling behind, and we’re falling short on our output.

Ultimately, no matter which way it goes, progress will slow down, output will decrease, and the company’s profits will fall.

I've been thinking lately that,

Was the Work-Style Reform really a good thing?

Work sites where ICT can improve efficiency are probably a little better off. (If there are specialized ICT construction projects.)

But our slope-construction business is pretty much all manual labor, isn't it?

For now, it’s all manual work that’s far from being able to be automated. (ICT is still a long way off, lol.)

If it were on level ground, we might be able to tie it up quickly with a machine. But in reality, it’s on a slope.

When I think about how we also have to tie up the bottom nets, we’re currently running at full manpower.

 

For jobs that require a lot of people, having weekends off reduces the number of working days by four.

To put it simply for a party of five: 35,000 yen (including expenses) × 5 people × 4 days = 700,000 yen

This means that trading volume will decrease by this amount.

So far, there hasn't been much of an increase in unit prices to offset this. (There has been a slight increase.)

 

To make up for the shortfall in production volume, workers will likely be sent to sites that do not operate on a two-day weekend system in an effort to offset that shortfall as much as possible.

Is this normal?

Is this what the government and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism want?

I think having a lot of days off is a good thing.

That way, you'll be able to spend at least a little time with your family, and it'll be easier to recover from your fatigue.

However, if our salaries go down, it won't do us any good, and if the company goes out of business, that would be putting the cart before the horse.

 

Personally, I think it’s better for money to keep circulating throughout society. (Given the current situation.)

To achieve that, rather than switching to a full two-day weekend,

I think it would be a good idea to make it somewhat flexible, like letting individual employees at the construction company decide for themselves whether to work on Saturdays.

If it comes out, you make money; if it doesn't, you don't.

I'm sure the construction company would naturally like them to be there, but let's set some rules about that.

If you want to make money, go for it!

People who earn money spend it, so money circulates throughout society.

There are directors on set who earn a steady income, but I suppose some adjustments will be necessary there as well.

I feel like we should create an environment where it's easier to make money. (It's important to increase the unit price.)

 

Looking at the construction industry alone at present, I think it’s leaning slightly toward inflation.

This is because, given the labor shortage, the volume of orders for public works and private construction projects is disproportionately high on the part of the contracting authorities.

(Simply put, inflation occurs when demand is high and supply cannot keep up, while deflation occurs when supply is high and demand is low.)

Construction is behind schedule due to a labor shortage.

Despite that, we’ve adopted a two-day weekend system. (Not that I’m saying a two-day weekend is a bad thing.)

It kind of feels like I'm hitting the brakes, doesn't it? lol

I don't really know much about economics myself, but that's the impression I get.

It's like I'm doing both good and bad things at the same time... (I don't know the details, though.)

 

I’d like to see more of the money circulating throughout Japan put back into society to boost the economy.

That’s why we in the construction industry want to stop hoarding profits and start spending them freely to make Japan a better place! (By investing in our employees and equipment)

I believe that if Japan prospers, we public works contractors will prosper even more.

Let's all do our best, slope maintenance contractors!

 

See you later.