Power harassment victim of newspaper delivery scholarship speaks up

Scholarship via newspaper delivery has rarely been reported as a serious social issue though it is riddled with problems. On March 24, however, one of the victims stood up to file a complaint of unfair labor practice against a distribution center as well as Sankei Shimbun Newspaper at the Tokyo Labor Bureau. A 22-year-old man who received the scholarship joined a union, an affiliate of Japan Federation of Newspaper Workers’ Unions, and continued negotiation with the distribution center. He claimed that the center, as well as newspaper scholarship association and Sankei Shimbun have never responded faithfully. The claim states that Sankei Shimbun should never deny negotiations with the union for it is essentially the employer of scholarship recipients (newspaper delivery staff). A native of Aomori prefecture, the victim went missing after he suffered constant power harassment by the distribution center manager for about a year while he delivered morning papers and collected subscription fees. Diagnosed with depression, he was found by his family. (By MATSUMOTO Chie) 
Photo: press conference

 新聞奨学制度のヤミ～パワハラうつの被害当事者が立ち上がる

こ れまで労働問題が多発しつつ社会問題へと発展しづらかった新聞奨学生問題で、被害当事者と組合が３月２４日、販売店と発行元の産経新聞などを相手取り、東 京都労働委員会に不当労働行為の救済を申し立てた。新聞奨学制度を利用していた２２歳の男性（写真）が、新聞労連加盟の新聞通信合同ユニオンに加入し、販 売店主と団体交渉を続けてきたが、新聞販売店をはじめ、新聞奨学会、新聞発行本社は不誠実な対応であったことなどを訴えた。救済申し立てには、新聞発行元 の産経新聞などを実質使用者であると主張し、団体交渉を拒否してはならないとしている。青森県出身のこの男性は東京都内の新聞販売店で早朝の配達や集金を 仕事としていたが、およそ一年にわたって販売店主から日常的にパワハラを受け続けた末にうつ病を患い、失踪したところを家族に発見されている。（松元ちえ）
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