Temporary Workers on Strike at Nara Factory, Mori Seiki

An impressive one-day strike was staged by temporary workers at Nara Campus No. 1 Plant of Mori Seiki Co., Ltd. on November 13, 2008, which is located in Yamato Koriyama City, Nara Prefecture. Nine employees on temporary status working at the factory formed the Mori Skill Formation Center Branch, Osaka East Local of Kansai Godo Trade Union and protested against the cancellation of their employment contract, or dismissal in November. Mori Seiki is a world-famous machine tool manufacturer. Although the maker enjoyed sharp increases in revenues in the past five years, it suddenly announced that it would reduce the number of its temporary employees by 300 due to the financial crisis stemming from the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers and the decrease in export caused by the appreciation of the Japanese yen. The nine members of the branch and their supporters stuck with the one-day strike by handing out fliers at their workplace at the start and end of the office hours, beginning at 7 :30 in the morning and in the evening, issued a strike notice and presented their demands to the company, voiced their discontent and rallied against the management in its premise, held a meeting and appealed to the public in front of Kintetsu Nara Station. (MIYAMOTO Takao)

森精機・奈良第一工場で派遣労働者がストライキ

11月13日、奈良県大和郡山市にある森精機・奈良第一工場で感動的な派遣労働者の終日ストライキがうちぬかれた。森精機で働く技能育成センターの派遣労働者が、11月からの契約解除＝解雇にガマンならないと関西合同労組大阪東部支部・技能育成センター分会を結成し、9名の労働者がストライキに立った。森精機は世界に名の売れた工作機械メーカー。この5年間で大幅に増収しているが、リーマン・ショックに端を発する金融恐慌、円高で輸出が減ったとして派遣労働者300人を突然削減すると発表した。分会の仲間、支援の仲間は朝７時半出勤時からのビラまき、スト通告、要求書提出、構内でのシュプレヒコール、構内デモ、集会、近鉄奈良駅前での情宣、退勤時のビラまきと終日ストをやりぬいた。（宮本隆男）