JAL Unfair Dismissal Case: Plaintiffs mark the anniversary with demonstration in front of the airline's premises

Pilots and flight attendants who filed suit against Japan Airlines in January 2011 for unlawful termination of their employment conducted a demonstration on January 19 to mark the first anniversary of the institution of the lawsuit. The demonstration was held in front of a major showroom of the airline in Yurakucho, central Tokyo, where, coincidently, some 40 executives and high-ranking managers of the company including the president, Masaru Onishi, and his successor-to-be, Yoshiharu Ueki, were distributing pamphlets to passers-by for a sales promotion campaign. Nearly all plaintiffs of the case participated in the demonstration. Leading plaintiffs including Mr. Hiroya Yamaguchi, the leader of the pilots union group, Ms. Taeko Uchida, the leader of the cabin crew union group, Mr. Hitoshi Kiyota, the secretary of pilot union group, Ms. Yoshiko Saito, Mr. Hideki Yamazaki and Ms. Kyoko Shimomura made appeals on top of the vehicle parked in front of the JAL Plaza to request for public support to their struggle for justice through signature collecting campaign and other measures. "The members of the new executive board of the airline must be held responsible for the unlawful dismissal. The Chairman Inamori said in the court that it was obvious that the company was able to retain the plaintiffs employed (even under the on-going restructuring). The testimony will remain binding under the new management where he serves as a chairman emeritus without a representative right. The reinstatement of all of us is inevitable for the restart of the company as an airline that places the top priority on safety, " said Ms. Uchida in her appeal. (Excerpt from vol. 108 of Newsletter on the Unlawful Dismissal of JAL Employees)

JAL不当解雇提訴から1年～勝利判決を求めJALプラザ前で宣伝行動
提訴から1年の1月19日、原告団は総出で宣伝行動を実施しました。場所は有楽町にあるJALプラザ前。当日はたまたま、JALの販売促進キャンペーン（街頭でのパンフの配布）のために来ていた、大西賢社長や植木義晴次期社長をはじめとする役職員約40名のキャンペーン隊と、「鉢合わせ状態」になるハプニングがありました。JALプラザ前に陣取った原告団の宣伝カ―より、山口乗員原告団長、内田客乗原稿団長、清田乗員原告団事務局長、斉藤良子さん、山崎秀輝さん、下村京子さんらが、署名をはじめとする不当解雇撤闘争への協力を訴えるとともにチラシを配布しました。内田団長は「役員が新体制となり、稲盛会長が代表権のない名誉会長となっても、法廷の場で『誰が見ても雇用を続けることは不可能ではない』と証言した責任は逃れられない。原告全員を職場に戻してこそ、安全最優先のＪＡＬとして再スタートが切れる」と訴えました。（JAL不当解雇撤回ニュース108号）