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

Dismissal order to 68 workers on disguised lease contract retracted

A group of 68 workers who have been working for a long period at the Toyota-affiliated car parts maker Sealing Techno in Tokushima Prefecture was to be dismissed by the end of January, but the staffing service company on January 13 retracted the dismissal notice.

The decision came out of the negotiations between the staffing company Collaborate and the All Japan Metal and Information Machinery Workers' Union (JMIU).

The staffing company on December 28, 2005 announced the dismissal of the 68 workers on the grounds that the company's contract with Techno ended. Twenty workers out of 68 were JMIU members. JMIU demanded that Techno and Collaborate sit at the negotiating table.

JMIU also made representations to the Tokushima Prefectural Labor Office that workers "on contract" are such in name only and that they actually work under the supervision of Techno. JMIU denounced the situation as disguised contract labor and a violation of the staffing service law.

JMIU further demanded that Techno employ the 68 workers as regular employees to abide by the staffing service law that requires the employer in the manufacture industry to employ workers as regular employees when they work continuously for more than a year.

Yabe Hiroshi, chair of JMIU Tokushima Branch's Collaborate group, commented, "We welcome the retraction of the dismissal order, but this is only the first step toward winning regular jobs at Techno.
- Akahata, January 17, 2006