JAL workers still fighting unfair dismissals from 2010

 

 

 

​​350 people gathered at the Bunkyo Ward Community Center in Tokyo on December 9th to show their support for 165 Japan Airlines (JAL) workers who were unfairly dismissed in 2010. The gathering included 32 of the unfairly dismissed employees who are still fighting to reach a fair settlement. On July 29th, two unions representing the workers, the Crew Members Union (Jouin Kumiai) and the Cabin Crew Union, accepted an offer from JAL to reinstate the workers as fixed-term contractors on a 2 year basis, which would leave the workers' jobs much more insecure than the permanent contracts on which they were employed at the time of their dismissal. At the gathering, the Executive Committee to Resolve the JAL Labor Dispute claimed that this offer is a way to increase the pool of precariously employed workers for JAL and to avoid having to comply with the more stringent labor protections that come with permanent employment. The JAL Dismissed Workers Union (officially abbreviated as JHU), another union representing the unfairly dismissed JAL workers, has also come out strongly against the 2-year contract offer from JAL, demanding that workers who wish to return to their jobs are allowed to do so and that all unfairly dismissed workers receive monetary compensation. 

The Chair of JHU, Hiroya Yamaguchi, stated that in 2010, JAL illegally dismissed workers based on their age and medical conditions, as well as dismissing workers for engaging in protected worker organizing activity. Yamaguchi also alleges that JAL's stated financial reasons for the dismissals do not hold up. And that JAL hired nearly 400 pilots and flight attendants soon after the dismissals in question.

In addition to the unions, 13 national elected politicians, lawyers, and researchers gave their support to the unfairly dismissed workers.

Melsmon Pharmaceutical, withdraw unlawful dismissal! – In support of unfairly dismissed worker

 

In September 2017, SHIMAZU Yoko, a member of the National Union of General Workers Tokyo Tobu, was dismissed by Melsmon Pharmaceutical on the ground of obviously discriminatory reasons, such as “no training for part-timers” and “we prefer a younger one”, despite her contribution for 14 years with 19 contract updates. Melsmon’s behavior also violates Article 18 of the revised Labor Contract Act, which will be enforced in April this year and provides the “shift to a full-time basis after five years’ work”. Shimazu has conducted collective bargaining five times with the management, demanding the withdrawal of her dismissal and her return to the workplace, but been unsuccessful in reaching an agreement. Therefore, she appealed to the Tokyo District Court. Her first hearing started on March 14, 2018. Before the hearing, there was a rally to support Shimazu and her attorney, KAWAMURA Takeo. (NAGASAKI Hiroshi, Tokyo Tobu) 

* Photo: Shimazu Yoko (Center)

メルスモン製薬は不当解雇の撤回を！〜東京地裁前で島津さん激励集会

３月１４日（水）午後１時３０分から「メルスモン製薬労働審判・東京地方裁判所前激励集会」が行われました。東京東部労組の島津葉子さんは、昨年９月、１４年勤続・１９回契約を更新してきた医薬品製造・販売会社メルスモン製薬（豊島区池袋）から、「パートに研修をさせるつもりはない」、「もっと若いヒトを採りたい」などという露骨な差別的理由で雇い止め・解雇されました。今年４月から施行される労働契約法１８条「５年無期転換ルール」にも真っ向から挑戦する不当な仕打ちです。島津さんは、解雇撤回・職場復帰を求め、会社とこれまで５回にわたり団体交渉を重ねるも双方の主張は平行線をたどり、まったく接点が見出せないため、このたび東京地方裁判所に労働審判を申し立てました。その第１回審理が３月１４日（水）午後２時３０分から開かれます。島津さんと代理人の河村健夫弁護士を力づけて法廷に送り出すため、裁判所前で激励集会を開催しました。その動画を公開します。（東部労組・長崎広） 

＊写真＝島津葉子さん（中央）

“We end our struggle with pride” Settlement reached in five and a half year-long Fujibi Case

 

The fifth annual general meeting of the Support Coalition for Fujibi Dismissed Workers was held in Arakawa City, Tokyo on February 21st. The representative of the Coalition, KUBO Satoshi, announced, “There was a meeting with the Fujibi Co. yesterday, and we finally settled the case.” In 2012, 18 workers were unfairly dismissed by printing company Fujibi Co. . The representative of the Fujibi Division of the National Union of General Workers Tokyo Union, KOGANEI, told the supporters; “We fought on for five and a half years, with a belief in workers’ solidarity and the conviction that the center of the struggle is on the work-floor and in the community. It was a hard struggle, but a precious experience, on which we will build our future movement.” Division Secretary NAKAHARA Junko, reflected on the long hard struggle; “Our hardship started with the company’s bankruptcy, followed by seven defeats in the Labor Relations Commission and courts. Finally, there was a defeat in the libel case brought up by the company, where we were ordered to pay 3.5 million Yen in compensation. This ruling included a preliminary execution declaration, so we were constantly facing the danger of a compulsory execution. Now, our long struggle is finally over. I am really proud of my co-workers who stuck together for five and a half years.” (OZAWA Kuniko)   

「誇りをもってフジビ闘争をやり切った」〜5年半の争議が解決

2月21日、東京・荒川区のムーブ町屋ホールで開かれたフジビ闘争支援共闘会議第5回総会で、議長の久保聡さんから 「昨日会社側と和解協議があり、解決に至りました」と報告があった。当該の全国一般東京労組フジビグループ分会の小金井分会長は「労働者の団結と連帯、そして闘いの現場は社前にあり地域にあり街頭にある。それを信じてこの5年半を闘ってきた。きついけれど貴重な体験をした。この経験を今後の運動に生かしていきたい」と話した。中原書記長は「破産から始まり、都労委の不当命令、スラップ訴訟の最高裁上告棄却など8回の不当決定、不当命令、不当判決を受けながら、ひるまずにやってきた。スラップ訴訟の地裁判決は仮執行宣言がついていたので、いつ強制執行があるかわからないという思いの中で、現在まで続いていた。やっと終わった。この5年半の闘いを共に闘いぬいた仲間たちと共に、誇りをもってこのフジビ闘争をやり切った思いでいっぱいだ」とあいさつした。（尾澤邦子）

 

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