Game maker Sega again confines insubordinate workers to an empty room without jobs

Sega Corporation, a world-known family computer and game software maker, has revived the use of its "solitary confinement room" (which invited public criticism and was closed two years ago) to shut in workers refusing company order to transfer to its subsidiaries.

Twelve workers, who are All-Japan Metal and Information Machinery Workers' Union (JMIU) members, were ordered to stay in a room at the company head office in Ota Ward in Tokyo from April 2. They have no job to do in the room, which is equipped only with desks, chairs, a desktop computer, and an in-house telephone.

One of the twelve workers who came back to the head office after 14 years in an office in Chiba Prefecture said, "It took two and a half hours to commute from my home in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa prefecture to the Chiba office. I was glad to go back to the head office, but Sega didn't give me any job and confined me. What a company! They have no common sense. I won't surrender to such cruel treatment."

Two years ago, Sega confined JMIU members, who refused the company recommendation to resign to a room with desks, chairs, and a telephone with no work to do. The Japanese Communist Party reported this in its newspaper Akahata and other media also criticized the inhuman act of Sega, which eventually pushed the company to abandon the practice.

Sega announced several months ago that it would end manufacturing its major family computer "Dreamcast," and call on 300 workers to voluntarily retire by the end of March 2001. At the same time, it declared to sever its delivery, software development, and amusement center operation sections to establish individual subsidiaries and transfer the 1,600 workers' payrolls to these subsidiaries.

In October 2000, Sega closed its Yako assembly plant in Chiba Prefecture and forced its workers to resign. Eight workers who refused to resign were transferred to a confinement room, then ordered to stand by at home for an indefinite period, and their wages were cut by 30 percent.

Protesting against Sega's inhuman act of bullying workers, about 40 workers including JMIU Sega branch members held a sit-in in front of the Sega head office on April 2. The branch members went on strike, calling on the company to end its outrageous restructuring and protesting against human rights violations related to the placement of workers in involuntary confinement. (end)