Yamada Denki “won” the Most Evil Corporation of the Year Award: Lawlessness spreads to workplaces in all around Japan

On September 6, 2014, the “Most Evil Corporation of the Year Award Ceremony” was held in central Tokyo. Among 11 nominated companies and workplaces, Yamada Denki, one of the biggest mass retailers of electric appliances in Japan, “won” the grand prize. Despite that many store managers have committed suicide due to overwork and still many others are on the brink of karoshi, death of overwork, Yamada Denki has not shown any remorse for this terrible situation. The Industry Prize was “awarded” to A1-Pictures and Fuji Beauty (Takano Yuri Beauty Clinic). The Special Prize was “awarded” to the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly for insufficient measures against sexual harassment. The “More Effort Needed” Prize was “awarded” to Zensho Holdings that manages Sukiya beef bowl restaurant chain. KAWAZOE Makoto, an executive committee member of the ceremony, commented, “It was very difficult to select relevant companies. Any of them was eligible for the grand prize. This shows the Labor Standards Act is widely violated and many companies are becoming more and more evil in Japan. The power of public opinion and trade unions is absolutely necessary to halt this negative tendency”. (M)

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* Photo: “Yamada Denki”, the “winner”. Award received by an understudy

ブラック企業大賞に過労死続出の「ヤマダ電機」～日本中に広がる無法化

9月6日、東京・YMCAホールで「ブラック企業大賞授賞式」が開催された。ノミネート企業11社から大賞に選ばれたのは「ヤマダ電機」だった。過労自死が続出したが反省がなく、現在も過労死ラインの店長が多数いることなどが理由で、とくに悪質度が高いとされた。ウェブ投票でもダントツの5256票が寄せられた。また業界賞は、A1－Picturesと不二ビューティー(たかの友梨)。特別賞は、東京都議会。要努力賞は、ゼンショー・ホールディングス（すき家）だった。実行委員の河添誠さんは「選考は難しかった。どの企業が大賞をとってもおかしくないくらい酷い労基法違反が蔓延しているからだ。日本中がブラック化している。これを食い止めるには世論の力、そして労働組合しかない」と講評した。（М）