Court orders NTT to pay workers back wages

The Osaka High Court on May 19 turned down a lower court decision and ruled in favor of former NTT West workers who had been demanding that the company pay them wages that it had withheld.

The judge ordered NTT West, a member of telecommunication giant NTT Group, to pay the two plaintiffs about 13.5 million yen.

As part of NTT restructuring aimed at "increasing its international competitiveness", NTT West in 1997 changed its working regulation without giving prior notice. It transferred its workers who were 55 years or older with manager status to outsourcing companies at 30 percent lower wages.

The Kyoto District Court had rejected the plaintiffs' demand stating that it was reasonable for their employer to change its working regulations. However, the high court pointed out that the company failed to prove the necessity to put its workers at such a disadvantage. (end)