Unionists discuss how digitalization in public services should be for residents

Osaka Jichiroren and allied unions in the region representing public service workers discussed digitalization in public service operations on June 7 in Osaka City.

The national government has been pushing local governments to replace their information systems, in which they manage residents’ individual data, with a standardized digital form developed by itself. A representative of Osaka Jichiroren argued that the government-led standardization could prevent municipalities from providing services that meet the needs of local communities and lead to a decline in quality of services and workers’ skills. An expert Kenichi Kuroda, professor emeritus at the Meiji University, said that digital operation in public services must prioritize “the perspectives of residents.”

While the government intervenes in municipal operations as mentioned above, the unionists exchanged views on its impact on the residents’ accessibility to the services and workers’ health and safety, expressing concerns that it may be used as a pretext for reducing staff and cutting staffed counter services.