Breakthrough for rectifying the gap – Victory for 190,000 non-regular postal workers at Tokyo District Court

 

 On September 14, 2017, the Tokyo District Court made a groundbreaking decision in favor of plaintiffs who are temporary postal workers filing suit for rectifying the gap they have suffered on the basis of Article 20 of the Labor Contract Act while doing the same work as full-timers – their salaries being less than half of those of full-timers, their bonuses being minimal, no benefits for them, and few holidays. The court decided Japan Post violates the article, saying, “Damages for lost benefits for the year-end and new year work and housing allowances are approved. Failure to grant summer and winter holidays and sick leave to contract postal workers is an irrational treatment and an unlawful act”. The court ordered Japan Post to pay a total of 920,000 Japanese yen to the plaintiffs. They are members of the Postal Industry Workers Union (PIWU). The victory is not necessarily perfect but can be a breakthrough for rectifying the gap suffered by non-regular postal workers. This also leads to the rectification of the gap suffered by non-regular workers in all industries. (TS, PIWU)

「19万郵便非正規社員」格差是正の道開く～郵政「労契法20条裁判」で勝利判決！

９月１４日、東京地裁は正社員と同じ内容の仕事をしているのに、賃金は半分以下、

ボーナスは雀の涙、諸手当はなし、休暇は少ないという郵便局の期間雇用社員（非正

規）が、労働契約法２０条をたてに起こした訴訟に対して、画期的な判決を下しまし

た。「年末年始勤務手当と住居手当の損害賠償を認める。夏季冬季休暇、病気休暇が

契約社員に与えらえないことは、不合理な取り扱いにあたり、不法行為が成立する」

と日本郵便が労働契約法２０条に違反していると認定しました。計９２万円の支払い

を命じました。この裁判は、私が所属している郵政産業労働者ユニオンの組合員であ

る期間雇用社員が起こしたものです。完全勝利とは言えませんけれど、１９万人に及

ぶ日本郵便の非正規労働者の格差是正の道を開く判決を勝ち取りました。それは郵便

局だけでなく、全ての業種で働く非正規労働者の格差是正につながるものです。（郵

政ユニオン・TS）

‘Send men home earlier’ if the government wants women to shine

Labornet TV featured “Prime Minister Abe’s Policy to Empower Women” on Sept. 24. TAKENOBU Mieko (left) said on the internet TV, “Our situation is totally sad as the equality index between Japanese men and women ranks 101st in the world.”

 Regarding Abe’s policies on women, she expressed her concerns by pointing out that only elite women in corporations will be able to shine. “Abe’s policies will create a system where foreign workers take on house chores, child-raising or care giving—anything that is a burden in the homes, and women will be made to work as hard as men instead. Public welfare will be massively cut,” she said.

 YUNOKI Yasuko (right) expressed her anger by saying that 60 percent of non-regular workers are women but “Abe is pushing to worsen the Dispatch Law for workers. If he gets what he wants, the percentage of women who become non-regular workers will rise to 80 percent. Who can shine within such a system?!”

 Yunoki also called on labor unions to send men home earlier from work. “The main cause of Japan’s misfortune is that work hours are not regulated,” she said. “What we first have to do is to send men home earlier.” (By M)

女性が輝くためには「早く男を家に帰せ！」～レイバーネットTVで柚木康子さん

9 月24日のレイバーネットTVは「女たちが緊急検証・安倍の女性活躍法」を特集した。ゲストの竹信三恵子さん（写真左）は「日本の男女格差指数が世界 101位という余りにお粗末な現実にある」ことを強調した。安倍の女性政策については「輝くのは企業のエリート女性のみ。彼女たちを男並みに働かせるため に、負担となる家事労働や育児・介護は外国人にやらせる仕組みをつくる。これは公的福祉の大幅後退になる」と危惧する。柚木康子さん（右）は「いま女性の 6割は非正規。安倍は派遣法改悪を推進しているが、これで女性の8割が非正規になってしまう。いったいだれが輝くの！」と怒りを露わにした。そして「日本 の不幸の元凶は労働時間の規制がないことだ。まずやることは“早く男を家に帰せ！”ということ。労組もそれを第一に取り組むべき」と檄を飛ばした。（M）

No to the termination of 13,694 Postal non-regular workers - First trial held for the complaint filed by dismissed workers

At the end of September last year, 13,694 non-regular workers aged over 65 were terminated from the Japan Post. It had been a past practice to renew workers' contracts when the contract term expired, regardless of the worker's age. Refusing to accept the termination, 5 of the dismissed workers took their cases to court. The first hearing was held on February 9th at the Tokyo District Court No. 620. There were only 24 seats for observers, but some 60 people gathered in the court room. The court guards urged the standing observers to leave, but they remained there, saying “We want to show the Judge that many people are here to listen.” Entering the courtroom, the alarmed Judge ordered the standing observers to leave the room. They left the room saying “You should have a bigger courtroom!” In the trial, the dismissed workers, NIWA Yoshiko and FUKAO Tadanori, gave their testimonies confidently, urging equal treatment for non-regular workers who are doing the same work for low wages and insecure status. （M）

とんでもない！郵政13694人の非正規切り～第一回裁判開かれる
昨年9月末に、それまでの慣行を無視して65歳以上の郵政非正規職員13694人が、一方的に解雇された。これに怒った有志5人が提訴。初めての裁判が、2月9日、東京地裁620号法廷で開かれた。24の傍聴席に約60人、小さな法廷は「立ち見」であふれかえり、午後1時10分の開廷を待った。職員が退場を促すが、「たくさん来ていることを裁判長に見せたい」と立ち見の傍聴者は出ていかない。そこに裁判長が登場。目をシロクロさせ、「立っている人は外に出てください」。立ち見の人「もっと大きな法廷でやってください」と言い残して退場した。裁判では、解雇された丹羽良子さん・深尾忠典さんが堂々とした陳述を行い、同じ仕事をしながら、低賃金・不安定を強いられている非正規の実態を強く訴えた。（M）　＊写真＝提訴した人たち

Equal treatment for the same job! Petition campaign for equal treatment and conversion to regular status kicks off.

The number of regular workers in the Japan Post Group is around 230 thousand and the number for non-regular workers is around 210 thousand. Particularly in the postal service division, more than 60 percent of the workforce is non-regular. They are doing the same work as regular workers, but suffer from unstable employment, low wages and disparity in treatment. At the end of September, 2011, 14 thousand non-regular workers over age 65 were terminated, causing chaos in the workplace due to under-staffing.　The National Joint Committee for the Progress of the Postal Labor Movement (coordinated by the Postal Industry Union, the Postal Workers’ Union, and Kurashiki Postal Union) started a petition campaign for “the equal treatment of non-regular workers in the postal service and their promotion to regular status.” Readers can support the campaign by signing the petition on the web of the Non-regular Postal Workers’ Center. (Matsuda, a non-regular postal worker)
Photo: Non-regular workers sorting mail.

同じ仕事 同じ待遇を！～郵政非正規の正社員化・均等待遇を求める署名はじまる

現在、日本郵政グループの正社員数は約23万人、非正規社員数は約21万人です。とりわけ郵便事業の6割以上は非正規社員が担っています。正社員と同じ仕事をしていても、非正規社員には不安定な雇用、低賃金、待遇格差が存在しています。9月末には65歳以上の非正規社員1万4千名が雇い止めされ、要員不足で職場は大混乱が生じています。2012春闘に向けて「郵政労働運動の発展をめざす全国共同会議」（事務局団体　郵政産業労働組合・郵政労働者ユニオン・郵政倉敷労働組合）は「郵政に働く非正規労働者の正社員登用と均等待遇を求める要請署名」の取り組みを開始しました。署名用紙による署名のほか、NPO法人ゆうせい非正規労働センターではネットによる署名も募っています。ご協力していただけるとうれしいです。（郵政非正規労働者・松田）　＊写真＝区分職場で働く非正規社員

190 People Gather at Union-Busting Symposium – Workers Express Anger

When workers courageously raise their voices to improve their low-pay, long-hour labor conditions and demand that companies guarantee workers' rights, they face retaliation from companies. Such cases have been on the increase. On July 5, 190 people listened to victims' angry disclosure at the symposium held at Surugadai Memorial Hall at Chuo University in Tokyo's Ochanomizu. The symposium was called, "We only get retaliation from companies for raising our voices -- non-regular workers & union's symposium on 7.5." Shukan Kinyobi, weekly magazine, co-sponsered the event. (By Y)


「逆ギレ」シンポジウムに190人～当事者が怒りの告発
　低賃金や長時間労働などの無権利状態に勇気を出して声をあげ、労働者として当然の要求をしたが故に、会社側から露骨な報復を受ける。こんな「逆ギレ」とも言える攻撃の事例が相次いでいる。7月5日、東京・お茶の水の中央大学駿河台記念館で開かれたシンポジウムには、非正規労働者や労働組合員など190人が集い、当事者たちの怒りの告発に熱心に耳を傾けた。集会名称は、「声をあげたら＜逆ギレ＞ばっかり－非正規・ユニオン７・５シンポジウム」（主催・７・５シンポを呼びかける会）。雑誌「週刊金曜日」が協賛した。（Y）

Nerima Ward Sanitation and Recycle Staff Establishes Labor Union -- Full-time and Non-regular Workers Join Hands

On May 15, sanitation and recycle officers of Tokyo's Nerima Ward established a union. The members had collected garbage and recycleable resources as temporary and dispatch workers until March last year. Although the wardoffice gave them direct employment contract in April lastyear, the contract was good only three years. To win stable employment and sufficient pay, they formed a union. Direct employment and union establishment were realized with full support from full-time employees union, Tokyo Sanitation Workers' Union Nerima Branch. This effort shows that the solidarity between full-time employees and non-regular workers can open the new door to the union movement. (By S)


練馬区清掃リサイクル指導員労働組合結成！～正規と非正規が力あわせる

　5月15日、練馬区清掃リサイクル指導員組合が結成された。組合員は昨年3月まで臨時・派遣としてごみ・資源の収集にあたっていたが、昨年4月練馬区と直接雇用関係のある非常勤職員化を勝ち取った。しかし雇用期間は最大3年間。安心して働き続けることのできる雇用・賃金・労働条件を目指して今回の組合結成となった。非常勤職員化および組合結成は、正規職員の組合である東京清掃労組練馬支部の全面的なバックアップによる。正規と非正規労働者の結合が、労働運動の新局面を切り開いている。（S）