Increased Significance of Individual-Affiliated Unions: Zensho Apologizes for Rejecting Collective Bargaining

General Union of Young Workers in Tokyo (Shutoken Seinen Union) agreed with Zensho Co., the holding company of Sukiya beef-bowl chain, to settle the case where the restaurant operator had kept refusing to have collective bargaining sessions with the union. The settlement was finalized on December 21 at Tokyo District Court. The union had a news conference on December 25 at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. (Photo)  Part-time workers of Sukiya joined the union that is based on individual affiliation and had been struggling since 2007 to reclaim unpaid overtime and improve their working conditions in general. Zensho, however, kept refusing to have a collective bargaining session, claiming that an individual-affiliated union is not a qualified negotiating party. While Tokyo Metropolitan Labor Relations Commission and Central Labor Relations Commission ordered the company to have bargaining sessions with the union, Zensho filed a suit against Central Labor Relations Commission demanding for the dismissal of its ruling. The present settlement in favor of the union has reconfirmed the ever increasing importance of labor unions based on individual affiliation and community unions. Shutoken Seinen Union will make greater efforts to improve working conditions of non-regular workers. (YAMADA Shingo, Shutoken Seinen Union)

個人加盟ユニオンの意義高まる～すき家のゼンショー団交拒否を謝罪

牛 丼すき家を経営する株式会社ゼンショーが労働組合・首都圏青年ユニオンとの団体交渉を拒否している件について、12月21日に東京地裁で和解が成立し、 25日に厚労省で記者会見が行われました（写真）。すき家で働くアルバイトたちがユニオンに加入し、残業代未払い是正など労働条件改善を求めていました が、ゼンショーは「個人加盟の労組は労組と認めない」として団交を拒否。この間、ゼンショーは、都労委・中労委と「ユニオンとの団交拒否は不当である」と 命令が出されたため、命令取消を求める行政訴訟も起こしていました。今回の和解を契機に、ローカルユニオンや一人でも入れる個人加盟労働組合の存在意義を さらに高め、非正規雇用労働者の労働条件を改善していく運動をますます旺盛に展開していきます。 （首都圏青年ユニオン・山田真吾） 報告・毎日新聞・しんぶん赤旗