“What’s wrong with our banners?” Labor Lawyers Association stands up for freedom of speech

 

“These banners show our anger, demands and determination” explained NAKAHARA Junko, one of the dismissed workers, at the news conference held on December 26^th. She was dismissed from Fuji Platemaking Co, a subsidiary of a printing company Fujibi in 2012. The banners read “We won’t allow discarding workers!” “A major printing Co. Fujibi should take the responsibility!” “No to wage theft by the billionaire President!” The company claimed that these words were libel and sued the dismissed workers. Tokyo High Court accepted the claim and ordered the workers to pay 3.5 million Yen in compensation. The Labor Lawyers Association issued a protest resolution on November 11^th and asked the Supreme Court to cancel this High Court decision. The Association held a press conference on December 26^th and the President of the Association, TOKUZUMI Kenji, said, “Freedom of speech is vital for labor unions. We will not let go this decision”. NAKAHARA also spoke at the conference, “I hope the Court will understand the feelings of the working people. There are many workers who cannot speak up. With these silent voices on our back, we will reverse the decision at the Supreme Court”. (M)

このノボリ旗のなにが問題？～「言論活動否定の判決」に日本労働弁護団も声上げる

「このノボリ旗には私たちの怒り・要求・決意がこもっています」、解雇された中原純子さんは、12月26日の記者会見でノボリ旗を掲げた（写真）。そこには「安い給料で使い捨て 泣き寝入りしないぞ／荒川区の『印刷御三家』フジビは責任を取れ！／億万長者の社長が給料・退職金をふみ倒すな！」と書いてある。ところが「この文言が会社に対する名誉毀損である」という会社の言い分を、東京地裁・高裁は認め、解雇された人に350万円を払えという判決を下した。前代未聞の判決に日本労働弁護団（1700人）も「看過できない」と立ち上がった。11月11日には異例の抗議決議を採択し、最高裁に判決変更を求めている。26日の会見で徳住会長は「労働組合にとって言論活動は生命線。絶対に許されない」と語気を強めた。中原さんは「裁判所には働くものの気持ちをわかってほしい。泣き寝入りしている労働者はたくさんいるが、その声を背景に最高裁で覆していきたい」と胸を張った。（M）

Temp workers make appeals; unions, labor activist escalate efforts to prevent revision of the worker dispatch law

The bill to revise the worker dispatch law passed the Lower House’s Health, Welfare and Labor Committee in the morning of June 19. The bill was subsequently submitted to the full House as an urgent proposal by the executive decision of the ruling party’s committee leader and passed the House in the afternoon. During the first two weeks of June, unionists, labor lawyers, pro-labor lawmakers and other concerned individuals intensified efforts to prevent the committee from terminating the deliberation on the bill and going for a vote. On June 2, an ex-temp worker called in the session to give a reference opinion appealed that the bill would simply exacerbate the security of temp workers’ already insecure employment and urged the lawmakers not to enact it. As the ruling Liberal Democratic and New Komei parties started discussing with the Japan Innovation Party the amendment to the bill on ‘equal remuneration for equal work’ proposed by the opposition parties and, in return, the Japan Innovation Party was about to agree on going for voting on the revision of the worker dispatch law, Labor Lawyers Association held a press conference and rally on June 9 where temp workers talked about the difficulties they have faced and their concerns regarding the revision. In 17 present and former dispatch workers spoke in at the rally held at Upper House members’ office building, “Since I was fired after the Lehman crash, I have never been able to think about my future with any hope. We have been used and thrown away while the government haven’t done  anything to help us. Now they are working on the revision that will simply make our situation worse.” “I have a cancer and have had a lot of difficulties treating it without having much financial security. Now my job will become even more insecure with the revised law. I wish the cancer had not been found at an early stage and I was dead by now.” “I once requested for a rise because my pay was much less for my high skills as a secretary. Then, the company I worked at terminated the contract prematurely. I was and am still now so frustrated with the way they treated me. “ “In the document that I was given from the company I work at to pass to the temp agency I register with, it was written that the payment from the company to the agency is under the expenditure item for ‘purchasing goods.’ I am thus treated just as a thing.” Other workers also made similarly heart-wrenching remarks. It was highlighted with the event that the bill would harm the job security of about 400 thousand temp workers who are engaged in 26 categories of jobs that require special skills and that the majority of lawmakers, as well as owners of large temporary help agencies and those in other industries that want cheaper labor, disregard the dignity of temp workers.

(based on the postings on the Labornet Japan main site by KITA Kenichi and HIROSE Akemi)

 

国会はこの声を聞け！～派遣労働者の魂が震える発言
 

間に合ってほしい。魂が震えるような発言がつづきました。労働弁護団が開いた派遣法改悪「採決反対」緊急集会（6月9日・参院議員会館） で、ずらっと並んだ 17人の派遣労働者から。「リーマンショックで切ら れてから明日が見えない。私たちを使い捨てたまま、法改悪なんて」「こんな目に遭うなら、ガンが見つか らず死んでいればよかった」「秘書としての仕事に見合った時給を求めたら、雇止めされました。悔しい思いでいっぱいです」「派遣先から派遣会社に渡しとい てと預かった書類に『物品購入』と書いてあった。ほんとにモノ扱い」etc。 この声に応えず、40万人とも言われる専門26業務で働く人たちの雇用不安を 放置して、12日衆院厚労委採決などありえません。それじゃ、国会が派遣切りの共犯になって しまいます。遅かったのか、間に合うのか。この声を必ず生かさ なければ。（北健一） 報告・田中龍作ジャーナル・東京新聞・最新情報（6.11）

抗議の行動を起こそう！～労働者派遣法が強行採決の危機
労働者派遣法、今週が本当の山場です。既にご存知かと思いますが、自公は維新に歩み寄り、対案「同一労働同一賃金推進法案」を採決 する『見返り』に「労働者 派遣法“改正案”」を採決するよう求めました。今週１０日、１２日の厚労委員会が勝負です。１２日に総理入り強行採決の予定。しかし、今も１秒１秒闘って おります。９日は全国の当事者が集まって記者会見をします。同日、日本労働弁護団主催の「派遣法改正「採決反対」緊急集会」が参 議員議員会館101会議室 があります。ぜひ参加しましょう。また６月２日の厚生労働委員会では、元派遣労働者が国会で訴えました。（廣瀬明美） 詳細・テレビ朝日「元派遣労働者が訴え」