The Supreme Court rules tour agency respect worker rights of tour guides

The Supreme Court ruled on Jan. 24 that the tour agency Hankyu Travel Support (HTS) pay overtime to its tour guides. One of the labor disputes that lasted for six years demanded that the company respect overtime hours of the tour guides. HTS had long failed to pay overtime hours because it regarded these hours as regular working hours. The union expressed its appreciation to all the supporters. This was a landmark victory for the tour guides nationwide. With this verdict, another legal dispute that was pending will confirm its verdict in the lower court. (By SUGANO Ari, the National Union of General Workers, Tokyo Tobu)
 Photo: the union members and their lawyers express joy in front of the Supreme Court.

旅行添乗員HTS支部が完全勝利！～「偽装みなし労働」残業代請求裁判 最高裁で判決！

旅 行添乗員で組織する東部労組ＨＴＳ（阪急トラベルサポート）支部が「事業場外みなし労働」を「理由」とする残業代の不払い（偽装みなし労働）撤廃を求めて ６年間闘ってきた全３つの裁判のうちのひとつに１月２４日、最高裁で判決が言い渡されました。組合完全勝利の判決です！ ご支援いただいたみなさま、本当にありがとうございました！ 最高裁も自ら判断・みなし労働の適用を否定「『労働時間を算定し難いとき』に当たるとはいえない」２審高裁判決が確定！ 歴史的判決！！（東京東部労組・菅野存）  
＊写真＝最高裁前 喜びの当該・弁護団

Unfairly dismissed tour conductor reinstated

SHIOTA Takuji, the president of the Hankyu Travel Support (HTS) Local of the National Union of General Workers Tokyo Tobu, returned to work on September 10, 2013. Shiota struggled for the withdrawal of his dismissal for more than four years, and his reinstatement was confirmed after a victorious settlement of this case at the Tokyo High Court. His first assignment after the reinstatement as a tour conductor was a 10-day tour to Turkey. His reinstatement is very significant in the sense that such a worker in a vulnerable temporary position as him succeeded in returning to work when the Japanese Government attempts to ease restrictions on firing workers. We are confident that a trade union can overcome unfair practices of companies. Your support to our struggle is highly appreciated! (Sugano)

* Photo: SHIOTA Takuji

阪急トラベルサポート派遣添乗員・塩田卓嗣さんが職場復帰

東部労組ＨＴＳ支部塩田委員長が本日（9/10）元気に仕事に復帰しました！ 不当な「アサイン停止」の撤回を求め４年以上闘い、東京高裁での勝利和解により職場復帰を確定させた東部労組ＨＴＳ（阪急トラベルサポート）支部塩田委員長が、本日からのトルコ１０日間ツアーで元気に仕事に復帰しました！ 解雇規制の緩和が画策されている中、立場が弱いとされている登録型派遣労働者が職場復帰を現実化させた異議は本当に大きなものがあります。「労働組合で闘えば、企業の不当な仕打ちを跳ね返すことができる」との確信を私たち東部労組は新たにしています。全国のみなさん！この間のご支援、本当にありがとうございました！（菅野存）

Dismissed tour conductor SHIOTA Takuji reinstated!

SHIOTA Takuji, the president of the Hankyu Travel Support (HTS) Local of the National Union of General Workers' Tokyo Tobu, was finally reinstated on May 10. Mr. Shiota, a tour conductor belonging to HTS, had struggled for the withdrawal of his dismissal for four years. HTS had refused to assign a job to him as Shiota formed the local in January 2007 together with other tour conductors. Despite the fact that they were virtually employed on a full-time basis, they were obliged to work under dismal working conditions. They were not eligible for unemployment insurance, social insurance or paid holiday leave on the basis of a spot labor contract. (Sugano, National Union of General Workers' Tokyo Tobu)

* Photo: Protest in Shibuya, Tokyo in 2011

阪急トラベルサポート派遣添乗員・塩田卓嗣さんの職場復帰が実現！

不当な「アサイン停止」（事実上の解雇）撤回を求めて４年間闘ってきた全国一

般東京東部労組ＨＴＳ（阪急トラベルサポート）支部塩田委員長の職場復帰が実

現しました！阪急交通社の旅行に添乗員を派遣する株式会社阪急トラベルサポー

ト所属の添乗員である塩田卓嗣さんは２００７年１月、労働条件の改善を求めて

仲間たちと全国一般東京東部労組ＨＴＳ（阪急トラベルサポート）支部を立ち上

げました。実態としては常用雇用であるにもかかわらず、ツアーがある時にだけ

雇用契約を締結する「登録型派遣」という雇用契約を理由に、塩田さんら添乗員

は雇用保険・社会保険未加入、有給休暇の取得も認められないという劣悪な労働

条件で働いてきました。（東部労組・菅野） 

I Was Fired for Accepting Interview from Media!--Hankyu Travel Support Busts Union

Takuji Shiota (Photo; Temporary tour guide), who served as a president of Hankyu Travel Support branch union, was targeted by the company for union busting after he responded to an interview by a weekly magazine, "Shukan Kinyobi." The company claimed that Shiota's reports on the workplace were based on fallacy and they defamed the company's reputations as well as disturbing business operations. Shiota suddenly on March 18 was told he would not receive any more work as signments from the company.The head union, National Union of General Workers TokyoTobu, and the magazine held a press conference at Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and appealed to the public that the company was acting unfairnly. The magazine publisher, Makoto Sataka, expressed anger by saying, "This interfers with freedom of expression respected in journalism. We'll stand up against this challenge." The union interprets it as "an act against unionism and anti-poverty movement as a whole," and plans to take it up as a social issue and brings the fight against the company.press conference (union tube) the related blog


取材に応じたら解雇！～阪急トラベルサポート社が組合つぶしの攻撃

　「週刊金曜日」の取材に応じて、職場の実態などを話したら、会社から「虚偽・名誉毀損・業務妨害」とされ、事実上解雇（アサイン停止）される事件が起きた。阪急トラベルサポート社によるこの事件は、東京東部労組の阪急トラベルサポート支部を嫌悪し、委員長の塩田卓嗣さん（写真・派遣添乗員）を狙いうちにしたもの。塩田さんは、3月18日に突然、今後一切仕事をさせないという「アサイン停止」通告を会社から受けた。組合と「週刊金曜日」は26日、厚労省で共同記者会見を行い、その不当性を訴えた。佐高信発行人は「これではジャーナリズムは成り立たない。売られたケンカは買う」と怒りを露わにした。組合は「ユニオン・反貧困運動全体への攻撃」と受け止め、同社を社会的に批判する大運動を展開する予定だ。 記者会見（UnionTube）・当該ブログ