Court orders Nestle to withdraw workers' dismissal

A Court on October 11 ordered Swiss-based multinational food maker Nestle's Japanese subsidiary to revoke the disciplinary dismissal of two union members and give them backpay.

Nestle Japan was claiming at the court that it discharged the two workers at the Kasumigaura plant in Ibaraki Prefecture because they assaulted a company manager in 1993. However, the Mito District Court stated that the claim is illogical because it took the company 8 years to fire them since the "incident" happened.

Plaintiff Tomita Shin'ichi, secretary of the Nestle Japan Labor Union (NJLU) Kasumigaura Branch, said, "Since I was disgraced and fired, my family also had to struggle. But finally the court supported the workers' allegation that the company had used a frame-up."

Saito Shoichi, NJLU vice-chair, stated that the union has an important role to play to make Nestle fulfill its social responsibility at a time when lack of morality at food companies is a major social problem. (end)