コンビニ時短、協議拒否禁止　指針改定案を発表―公取委

　公正取引委員会は２９日、コンビニエンスストア加盟店がフランチャイズ本部に２４時間営業見直しを求めた場合、理由なく協議を拒否することを禁じる指針改定案を正式に発表した。３月１日まで業界関係者や利用者などに広く意見を募り、春にも決定する見通しだ。
　指針はフランチャイズ営業全般を対象とし、立場の弱い加盟店を保護するため本部と加盟店の取引でどのような行為が独占禁止法上の問題になるかを示している。公取委が昨年９月に公表したコンビニ業界に関する実態調査で、時短の意向が強い店側に対し、交渉にも応じない本部があるなどの問題が分かり、改定することにした。（2021/01/29-18:48）

Japan's Fair Trade Commission released on Friday draft guideline revisions banning convenience store chain headquarters from refusing to hold talks with store owners to review round-the-clock operations.
   The draft is expected to be adopted as early as this spring, after the FTC gathers opinions from industry officials and store users on the matter until March 1.
   The proposal amends guidelines that outline actions by franchise operators that may amount to antimonopoly law violations, in order to protect vulnerable franchisees.
   The FTC decided to revise the guidelines after a survey, released last September, found that some convenience store chains were refusing to engage in negotiations despite strong demands for shortened hours by member stores.
   The draft revisions also state that cases in which workers of chain headquarters unilaterally order products to be shipped to stores could amount to abuse of their dominant positions, barred under the antimonopoly law.