Women workers win settlement over discrimination

In a lawsuit over gender discrimination in wages and promotions, three women employees at the major the chemical manufacturer Sumitomo Chemical reached a settlement with the company on June 29 at the Osaka High Court. Sumitomo agreed to pay each plaintiff 5 million yen.

The three plaintiffs said they are satisfied with the out-of-court settlement, adding that the settlement has marked a step forward toward eliminating gender discrimination in the workplace.

In the lawsuit, the women workers were claiming that they had never been given a promotion while male colleagues were promoted to managerial positions after 20 years of service at Sumitomo. The monthly payment that one of the plaintiffs was receiving was 220,000 yen less than her male counterparts.

In 2001, the Osaka District Court acknowledged that there was a wage disparity between the plaintiffs and their male counterparts but turned down their claims, stating that they had missed opportunities to be promoted. (end)