Union part-time workers get their rights back

Unionized part-time workers at a big restaurant chain have won the company's promise to allow all part-timers to use paid holidays. They were also assured of job security.

Pronto Corporation is a big restaurant chain company which has about 130 restaurants throughout the country.

In July last year, one of its franchised restaurants "PRONTO" in Tokyo's Shibuya began to be operated directly by the company. In December, the company hired new part-timers for the restaurant and harassed the old workers by trying not to put them in shifts.

About 10 part-timers who wanted their working conditions to be improved asked a young contingent workers' union for advise, and founded the PRONTO branch of the Young Workers' Union. In January, they started to negotiate with the company.

In late February, they concluded an agreement with Pronto Corporation that included a provision that the company would allow its part-timers to use paid holidays and assure them that jobs are secured even when their restaurants close, a great progress for the 1,200 Pronto part-time workers.

The PRONTO workers' union president said, "We made our company promise the agreements by asserting our rights. We are proud of our efforts." (end)