①A Labour Relations Commission is to be composed of equal numbers of persons representing employers (hereinafter referred to as "employer members"), persons representing workers (hereinafter referred to as "labor members"), and persons representing the public interest (hereinafter referred to as "public interest members").

②The Labour Relations Commissions are to consist of the Central Labour Relations Commission and Prefectural Labour Relations Commissions.

③The particulars concerning the Labour Relations Commission in addition to what is provided for in this Act are to be prescribed by Cabinet Order.

①The Central Labour Relations Commission is established under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare based on the provisions of Article 3, paragraph (2) of the National Government Organization Act (Act No. 120 of 1948).

②The Central Labour Relations Commission has the duty to defend the workers' uniting and promote the fair adjustment of labor relationships.

③In order to fulfill the duties set forth in the preceding paragraph, the Central Labour Relations Commission takes charge of affairs set forth in the provisions of Article 5, Article 11, Article 18, and Article 26 of this Act, administrative affairs concerning examination, etc., cases of unfair labor practice, (meaning the disposition of cases pursuant to the provisions of Article 7, the following Section, and Section 3 of this Act; the same applies hereinafter), administrative affairs concerning the conciliation, mediation, and arbitration of labor disputes, administrative affairs pursuant to the provisions of Article 35-2 and Article 35-3 of the Labor Relations Adjustment Act, and other administrative affairs belonging to the Central Labour Relations Commission based on other laws (including orders based on laws).

①The Central Labour Relations Commission is to be composed of fifteen members from employer members, labor members, and public interest members.

②The Prime Minister appoints the employer members based upon the recommendations of employers' organizations (for four of the employer members, based upon the recommendations of agencies engaged in administrative execution (meaning an agency engaged in administrative execution provided for in Article 2, paragraph (4) of the Act on General Rules for Incorporated Administrative Agencies (Act No. 103 of 1999); the same applies in this paragraph, paragraph (2), item (ii) of the following Article, and Article 19-10, paragraph (1))). The Prime Minister appoints the labor members based upon the recommendations of the labor unions (for four of the labor members, based upon the recommendations of the labor unions formed or joined by employees provided for in Article 2, item (ii) of the Act on Labor Relations of Agency Engaged in Administrative Execution (Act No. 257 of 1948) (hereinafter referred to as "employees of an agency engaged in administrative execution" in this Chapter)). The Prime Minister, after obtaining the consent of both Houses, appoints the public interest members from among the persons stated in the list of candidates prepared by the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare with the consent of the employer members and the labor members.

③In the case where the term of office of a public interest member has expired or a vacancy has occurred for a public interest member and the consent of both Houses cannot be obtained because the Diet is not in session or the House of Representatives has been dissolved, notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the Prime Minister may appoint a public interest member from among the persons stated in the list of candidates prepared by the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare after obtaining the consent of the employer members and the labor members.

④In the case referred to in the preceding paragraph, subsequent approval by both Houses must be sought at the first session of the Diet after the appointment. In this case, if subsequent approval of both Houses cannot be obtained, the Prime Minister must immediately dismiss the public interest member.

⑤As to appointment of the public interest members, seven or more those members must not belong to the same political party.

⑥The members of the Central Labour Relations Commission (simply referred to as "members" in the following Article to Article 19-9) is to serve on a part-time basis; provided, however, that up to two public interest members may serve on a full-time basis.

①A person who has been sentenced to punishment of imprisonment or a greater punishment, and who is still under the execution of the sentence or who has not ceased to be subject to the execution of the sentence, may not become a member.

②A person who falls under any of the following items may not become a public interest member:

①The term of office of members is to be two years; provided, however, that the term of office of a member who is appointed to fill a vacancy is to be the remaining term of the predecessor.

②Members may be re-appointed.

③When the term of office of a member has expired, the member is to remain in office until a successor is appointed.

①A public interest member serving full-time may not perform any act falling under any of the following items while in office:

②A public interest member serving part-time may not perform any act falling under item (i) of the preceding paragraph while in office.

①A member loses their job in the case where the member comes to fall under any of the items of Article 19-4, paragraph (1). The same applies in the case where a public interest member comes to fall under any of the items of paragraph (2) of the same Article.

②When the Prime Minister finds that a member cannot execute their duties by reason of mental or physical disorder, a member has breached their duties, or a member has committed a misconduct unbefitting for a member, the Prime Minister may dismiss the member with the consent of the Central Labour Relations Commission in the case of an employer member or a labor member, or with the consent of both Houses in the case of a public interest member.

③Pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, if the Prime Minister has requested the Central Labour Relations Commission to give its consent to the dismissal of an employer member or a labor member, the member may not take part in the decision.

④The Prime Minister is to immediately dismiss a public interest member who has newly come to belong to a political party to which six of the other public interest members already belong.

⑤If seven or more public interest members have come to belong to the same political party (excluding cases which fall under the provisions of the preceding paragraph), with the consent of both Houses, the Prime Minister is to dismiss public interest members so that the number of public interest members belonging to the same party is six; provided, however, that the Prime Minister may not dismiss members who have not changed the political party to which they belong.

Members are to receive salaries, allowances, and other remuneration as prescribed separately by laws, and are also to be reimbursed the necessary expenses incurred in performing their duties as specified by Cabinet Order.

①The Central Labour Relations Commission is to have a chairperson.

②The chairperson is elected by the members from among the public interest members.

③The chairperson presides over the business of the Central Labour Relations Commission and represents the Central Labour Relations Commission.

④The Central Labour Relations Commission must designate in advance a member, by election by the members from among the public interest members, who acts on behalf of the chairperson in the case the chairperson is impeded from performing their duties.

①Local members for adjustment are to be established within the Central Labour Relations Commission representing the employers, the workers, and the public interest, to participate in conciliation or mediation in disputes and other cases arising between an agency engaged in administrative execution and the employees of an agency engaged in administrative execution employed by it, as well as other disputes or other cases as provided for by Cabinet Order as those to be dealt with locally by the Central Labour Relations Commission; and to participate in procedures as provided for in Article 24-2, paragraph (5).

②The Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare appoints local members for adjustment with the consent of the Central Labour Relations Commission for each district specified by Cabinet Order.

③The provisions of the main clause of Article 19-5, paragraph (1) and paragraph (2); Article 19-7, paragraph (2); and Article 19-8 apply mutatis mutandis to the local members for adjustment. In this case, the term "the Prime Minister" in Article 19-7, paragraph (2), is deemed to be replaced with "the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare"; and the phrase "with the consent of the Central Labour Relations Commission in the case of an employer member or a labor member, or with the consent of both Houses in the case of a public interest member" in the same paragraph is deemed to be replaced with "with the consent of the Central Labour Relations Commission."

①A secretariat is to be established within the Central Labour Relations Commission to organize the administrative affairs of the Commission, and the secretariat is to have a director-general and other necessary staff members appointed by the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare with the consent of the chairperson.

②A local office that takes charge of administrative affairs in the local area is to be established in the secretariat.

③The location, name, and jurisdictional district of a local office are prescribed by Cabinet Order.

①A Prefectural Labour Relations Commission is established under the jurisdiction of the prefectural governor.

②The Prefectural Labour Relations Commission is to be composed of thirteen members each, eleven members each, nine members each, seven members each, or five members each for employer members, labor members, and public interest members, respectively, for the number as specified by Cabinet Order; provided, however, that it may be composed of the number of members adding two members each of employer members, labor members, and public interest members to the number specified by Cabinet Order, pursuant to the provisions of Prefectural Order.

③The prefectural governor appoints the employer members based upon the recommendations of the employers' organizations, the labor members based upon the recommendations of the labor unions, and the public interest members with the consent of the employer members and the labor members.

④The appointment of public interest members is to be made in accordance with the number of public interest members listed in the left-hand column of the Appended Table for the Prefectural Labour Relations Commission (for Prefectural Labour Relations Commissions composed of members with two members added to the number specified by Cabinet Order pursuant to the proviso to paragraph 2 of this Article, the number of public interest members that added those two members ), and the number of public interest members exceeding the number specified in the right-hand column of the Table must not belong to the same political party.

⑤When a public interest member has contravened the provisions of the preceding paragraph due to their actions, the member is to retire as a matter of course.

⑥The provisions of Article 19-3, paragraph (6); Article 19-4, paragraph (1); Article 19-5; Article 19-7, the first sentence of paragraph (1), paragraph (2) and paragraph (3); Article 19-8; Article 19-9; and paragraph (1) of the preceding Article apply mutatis mutandis to Prefectural Labour Relations Commissions. In this case, the term "on a full-time basis" in the proviso to Article 19-3, paragraph (6) is deemed to be replaced with "on a full-time basis pursuant to the provisions of Prefectural Order"; "the Prime Minister" in Article 19-7, paragraph (2) is deemed to be replaced with "the prefectural governor"; "with the consent of the Central Labour Relations Commission in the case of an employer member or a labor member, or with the consent of both Houses in the case of a public interest member" in the same paragraph is deemed to be replaced with "the Prefectural Labour Relations Commission"; "the Prime Minister" in paragraph 3 of the same Article is deemed to be replaced with "the prefectural governor"; "an employer member or a labor member" in the same paragraph is deemed to be replaced with "a member of the Prefectural Labour Relations Commission"; and "the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare" in paragraph (1) of the preceding Article is deemed to be replaced with "the prefectural governor."

In addition to those particulars provided under the provisions of Articles 5, Article 11, and Article 18, the Labour Relations Commission has the authority to conduct examinations, etc., of unfair labor practice cases and perform conciliation, mediation and arbitration of labor disputes.

①When a Labour Relations Commission finds it necessary for the public interest, its meetings may be opened to the public.

②The meetings of a Labour Relations Commission is convened by the chairperson.

③The Labour Relations Commission may not hold a meeting nor make any decision unless one or more employer members, labor members, and public interest members are present.

④Decisions are to be made by a majority of the members present, and in the case of tie in votes, the chairperson is to make the decision.