Japan Airlines union wins a suit

The Tokyo High Court on March 19 decided that a work regulations change by Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. to the disadvantage of crewmembers is invalid.

The decision was a complete victory for 846 plaintiffs (more than 90 percent of JAL Flight Crew Union members) who had argued that the airline company unilaterally broke a labor agreement to change working conditions. JAL management said that it will consider making an appeal to the Supreme Court.

At issue was JAL's new work rule of flying with two pilots without a standby pilot or two pilots and one flight engineer in a cockpit. The high court concluded that this work rule forces pilots to work longer hours and lacks rationality.

Thus, the longest piloting hours without a standby pilot will be nine for a non-stop flight and eight hours and a half for a two-stop flight.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs pointed out that JapanAirlines cannot maintain the same level of safe flights as Western airlines from a medical viewpoint regarding the human body's ability related to fatigue, and demanded that JAL improve the safety standards without delay. (end)