“Make karoshi obsolete” ? Karoshi problem of contract restaurantmanager solve

　With regards to a case of Maesawa Takayuki, 32 years old as of October18, 2007 when he died, the contract manager of a family restaurant“Skylark Kurihashi” who worked himself to death from overwork causedby a brain hemorrhage, the management of the restaurant chain, a tradeunion (National Union of General Workers Tokyo Tobu) and his bereavedfamily (Maesawa Emiko, his mother) reached an agreement for thesettlement on May 13, 2009. It was a total victory for the union and thebereaved with five points, which consist of the management’s “deepapology, preventative measures, notification of the case to theemployees, payment of damages, and settlement of unpaid overtime”.Takayuki’s mother and sister looked nervous when they attended a pressconference at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on the same day.His mother Emiko (right in the photo) simply said, “I have lived so myson’s death will not be wasted. I hope the word karoshi becomesobsolete”. The settlement was groundbreaking as the damages (amountundisclosed) were based on the calculation for a full-time employee. (M)The image of the press conference (UnionTube)

「過労死を死語に」～すかいらーく契約店長の過労死問題が解決

　2007年10月18日に「すかいらーく栗橋店」の契約店長だった前澤隆之さん（当時32歳）が、脳内出血で「過労死」した事件で、5月13日、会社と組合（東京東部労組）・遺族（母の前澤笑美子さん）との間で合意が成立し解決した。内容は、会社が「深く謝罪。再発防止策を行う。社員に事件を周知させる。損害賠償を支払う。サービス残業を精算する」などの5点で、組合・遺族側の全面勝利だった。この日、厚労省で記者会見が行われたが、遺族の母と妹の表情は固かった。笑美子さん（写真右）は「息子の心をわが心にして生きてきた。過労死が死語になることを望む」と言葉すくなに語った。損害賠償（金額非公表）については、算定基準を正社員並みにさせるなど画期的内容だった。（M） ・記者会見動画（UnionTube）