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Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

My dream came true - A worker wins lawsuit over discrimination against JCP members

"They said I was dreaming trying to change Nippon Steel. That dream came true today," said Kato Masami with a big smile on his face.

The 64-year-old plaintiff in the lawsuit over corporate discrimination against Japanese Communist Party members began to work for Nippon Steel Corporation at the age of 18. He worked various kinds of jobs such crane driver and inspector. His coworkers respected Kato for making more efforts than anyone else to gain advanced skills and special knowledge.

Blackmail into spying

However, the company began to discriminate against Kato when he became a member of the Democratic Youth League of Japan and the Japanese Communist Party. His annual salary was 2 million yen less than his colleagues with the same academic backgrounds and lengths of service.

For almost three years beginning in 1970, the company's security division tried to force him to provide information of the JCP and repeatedly shadowed him, threatening him by saying, "Think about your future." It also threatened to attack his wife's family.

However, Kato never changed his belief that "without being able to fight against attacks on yourself, you cannot fight for a better world."

Standing firmly against the company's discrimination, JCP members at work distributed copies of a leaflet in front of the factory's gate to make these facts known to as many workers as possible.

In 1992, Nippon Steel ordered the transfer of Kato to the 4th Craft Division, an "isolation worksite." What waited for him there was menial tasks such as painting or cleaning. Flagrant human rights violations targeting workers who were JCP members were prevalent.

"The isolation work site was like a prison without bars because all the skills and pride which I had as an engineer were discarding," said Kato.

Kato once asked the company's trade union for help, but it turned a deaf ear to him. At that time, he was thinking, "If nothing is done, the union movement at Hirohata Works will lose its way." In 1993, he finally decided to file a complaint with the Hyogo Local Labor Committee, demanding an end to his compulsory transfer.

Reality exposed one after another

Although many had a pessimistic view of his decision to lodge a complaint, Kato exposed cases of human rights violation at Nippon Steel. In 1997, the company closed down the "isolation worksite."

Before he went to file a complaint with the local labor committee, he discussed his decision with his family.

His daughter was very much opposed to his father's action. She said, "If you do that, I cannot walk outside!" But what made him move forward was his son's words, "If I were you, I would do the same thing." Kato recalled smiling, "His words gave me a lot of courage. Without family support, I wouldn't have been able to fight."

Thus, his struggle in court began with uncertainty. He learned about similar legal struggles against discrimination, including one at Kansai Electric Power Co., and called for a united struggle at all nine steel mills at Nippon Steel. What led to the victory was the strong grassroots support from throughout the country.

"Each individual is powerless. Strong bonds with friends, family members, and the JCP gave me the power to fight through to the end. From now on, I will make the best use of the achievement that we gained through our court struggle in order to return the strength I received from so many people in whatever way I can."
- Akahata, December 27, 2005