Married women employees call for government guidance to end discrimination

A group of women employees of Sumitomo Life Insurance called for government intervention to get the company's discrimination ended against married women employees in wages and promotions.

Calling for an end to such discrimination, these women have filed a suit.

Five of the 12 plaintiffs, together with two Japanese Communist Party House of Councilors members, on June 6 visited the Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry.

At the ministry they disclosed how they were discriminated against. Mrs. A who worked for 38 years retired as a mere clerk. Mrs. B's annual income was 2 million yen less than men of similar seniority due to discriminatory promotion practicess.

The company during the trial rejected the allegation, arguing that discrimination is reasonable because married women employees have lower labor productivity because they take maternity and child care leaves and do not work overtime.

During the meeting with the ministry, the women employees said that putting them in such a disadvantage position is illegal. They also said that unless the government intervene in companies to end such discrimination, which is prevalent in all industries, to ensure that women can continue working attend to family needs , the decline in birth rates will continue.

The ministry said that it won't discuss specific lawsuits. (end)