Nestle blackmails workers into quitting

Switzerland-based multinational corporation Nestle continues threatening two of its employees with dismissal simply because of their refusal to voluntarily quit the company.

Akahata on April 23 reported that Nestle on April 17 notified the two workers at the Kasumigaura plant in Ibaraki Prefecture that they must submit their resignation by April 25 or they will be discharged in disgrace on the following day.

The two workers are 47-year-old Kurimura Shin'ichi, vice-head of the Nestle Japan Labor Union Kasumigaura Branch, and 43-year-old Tomita Shin'ichi, secretary of the same branch.

The reason Nestle gave for their dismissals was their walk-outs in 1993, 1994, and 1999 in protest. They were condemned for "sabotaging" the company's business and using violence.

But prosecutors in February 2000 decided to not indict them on "violence" charges because of absence of evidence.

Sasaki Yasuomi, president of the Nestle Japan Labor Union, denounced the multinational corporation for using false evidence to sack the two employees who exercised the right to protest against the company's unfair labor practice. Such an attack ignoring workers' and their family's human rights must not be condoned."

Nestle has repeatedly resorted to violence and discrimination against union workers by using an informal organization, the aim being to disrupt the union. So far, the Labor Relations Commission and courts across the country have condemned Nestle in more than 60 cases of unfair labor practices and violations of human rights.(end)