Unions in Hokkaido calls on Snow Brand Food to cancel 1,000 part-timers' dismissal plan

Representatives of the Hokkaido Federation of Trade Unions (Dororen) on February 5 visited the Snow Brand Food Co. Hokkaido Plant in Hayakita Town and demanded that the company withdraw its dismissal notices to about 1,000 part-time and contract workers.

Snow Brand Food Co. admitted in late January to falsely labeling foreign beef as domestic meat to take advantage of a government buy-back scheme intended to help stockbreeders affected by the outbreak of mad cow disease. After it was ordered to stop selling meat products, the company announced it will dismiss about 1,000 workers, including 99 in its Hokkaido Plant due to a sharp fall in sales.

Union representatives requested that the company apologize to the people and make strong efforts to reconstruct the company without resorting to dismissals of part-time and contract workers who are in a disadvantaged position.

The plant manager said that the dismissals were ordered by the Snow Brand Food Co. head office and that he was asking the management to continue operations at the plant, which has been supported by local communities and workers' efforts.

A Snow Brand Food Co.worker, as a member of the representatives, said that the union wants to protect the workers' jobs, investigate into the scandal, and make efforts to rehabilitate the company's credibility, reconstruct its business, and continue the plant's operation. (end)