When a complaint is submitted by workers concerning matters prescribed in Article 6, Article 7, Article 9, Article 12 and Article 13, paragraph (1) (except those related to recruitment and employment of workers), employers must endeavor to promote voluntary resolution by actions such as referring complaints to the complaints department (which is the body for resolving worker complaints, composed of employer and worker representatives).

The provisions of Article 4, Article 5, and Articles 12 through 19 of the Act on Promoting the Resolution of Individual Labor-Related Disputes (Act No. 112 of 2001) do not apply to a dispute between a worker and an employer with regard to matters prescribed in the provisions of Articles 5 through 7, Article 9, Article 11, paragraphs (1) and (2) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 11-3, paragraph (2)), Article 11-3, paragraph (1), Article 12, and Article 13, paragraph (1) and are governed by the provisions of the following Article through Article 27.

①When requested by either party or both parties to a dispute prescribed in the preceding Article for assistance to resolve the dispute, the Director of a Prefectural Labor Bureau may give necessary advice or guidance, or make necessary recommendations to the relevant parties.

②The provision of Article 11, paragraph (2) apply mutatis mutandis to cases in which a worker seeks the assistance referred to in the preceding paragraph.

①The Director of a Prefectural Labor Bureau is to have the dispute coordinating committee referred to in Article 6, paragraph (1) of the Act on Promoting the Resolution of Individual Labor-Related Disputes (hereinafter referred to as the "committee") conduct the conciliation of a dispute provided for in Article 16 (except for a dispute on the recruitment and employment of workers) when either party or both parties to the dispute (hereinafter referred to as the "parties concerned") apply for conciliation and the Director finds it necessary to do so in order to resolve the dispute.

②The provisions of Article 11, paragraph (2) apply mutatis mutandis to cases in which a worker files the application referred to in the preceding paragraph.

①The conciliation pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) of the preceding Article (hereafter referred to as the "conciliation" in this Section) is conducted by three conciliation commissioners.

②The conciliation commissioners are nominated in advance by the committee chairperson from among the committee members.

When the committee finds it necessary for conciliation, it may request the parties concerned or workers employed at the same workplace as that of the parties concerned or any other witness to make an appearance and hear their opinions.

When the committee finds it necessary based on the petition of the parties concerned, it is to hear the opinions of the representatives of the workers or employers concerned who are nominated by major workers' organization or employers' organization in the jurisdictional district of the Prefectural Labor Bureau where the committee is established.

The committee may prepare a conciliation proposal and recommend its acceptance to the parties concerned.

①When the committee finds that there is no prospect of resolving the dispute for which conciliation is used, it may discontinue the relevant conciliation.

②If the committee discontinues the conciliation pursuant to the provision of the preceding paragraph, it must notify the parties concerned to that effect.

When conciliation is discontinued pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) of the preceding Article and the person who applied for the conciliation files a lawsuit as to the claim which was the purpose of the conciliation within 30 days of the day of the notice referred to in paragraph (2) of that Article, the lawsuit is deemed to have been filed at the time when the conciliation was applied for in terms of postponement of the expiration of the prescription period.

①If a lawsuit is pending between the parties concerned with regard to a civil dispute among the disputes prescribed in Article 18, paragraph (1), and if either of the following grounds exists and there is a joint petition from the parties concerned, the court in charge of the case may decide to suspend the court proceedings for a fixed period of no longer than four months:

②The court in charge of the case may rescind the decisions referred to in the preceding paragraph at any time.

③No appeal may be filed against a decision to dismiss the petition referred to in paragraph (1) and a decision to rescind the decision referred to in paragraph (1) pursuant to the provision of the preceding paragraph.

When the committee finds it necessary in order to resolve a case pending in the committee, it may ask for necessary cooperation from the relevant administrative agencies, such as providing of materials.

Beyond what is provided for in this Section, necessary matters concerning procedures for conciliation are specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.