 High court says union busting dismissals are invalid The Osaka High Court on March 30 recognized that a major Japanese taxi company had committed unfair labor practices that resulted in dismissals of all 55 employees by its discontinuance of its subsidiary, with the aim of union busting. The court ordered the parent company to continue to pay the 55 workers 10 million yen a month. Supporting the unionists' claim that the dismissals were invalid, the Osaka District Court issued an injunction order against the dismissal by Dai-ichi Kotsu, Co., the parent company, in September 2003. The union busting began in 2001, when Sano Daiichi Kotsu became the employer of the 55 workers, who had a union affiliated with the All-Japan Federation of Automobile Transport Workers' Unions (Jiko-Soren). The Kyushu-based parent company, Daiichi Kotsu, sought to destroy the union by establishing a new subsidiary firm in the same taxi business area. It closed down Sano Daiichi in April 2003 and fired all workers, who were union members. The 55 dismissed unionists filed a suit demanding that Daiichi Kotsu revoke their dismissals and continue to pay them their salaries. Following the high court decision, the unionists issued a statement that they will make further efforts to reach an early settlement with the company. (end) |