Workers standing up for rights

Japan Press Weekly

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

Workers standing up for rights

"If I hadn't met with the JCP and union members, I would have become homeless and probably ended up dead," a temporary worker who used to work at a plant of Isuzu Motors said.

Sato Yoshinori, 49, was fired on December 26 and immediately filed an action with a court against the dismissal by Isuzu Motors. "It is unjustifiable that the company throws us away after making us to work as much as they want," he said at a news conference on the same day.

In April 2003, Sato Yoshinori had to leave his wife and children in Hokkaido to work at the Isuzu Motors Fujisawa plant. The company treated him as a temporary worker for a period of time, then as a fixed-term contract worker, and again as a temporary worker. The company used this method of retaining workers in order to evade the law that requires companies to offer full-time positions to temporary workers after three years. He endured this system because he hoped that he would get a full-time position and be able to live together with his family in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Late last year, however, the automaker said that all 1,400 contingent workers would be laid off even before the date of expiration of their contracts.

"I lost any hope, not only because I can't live with my family but because I had to leave the dormitory in the dead of winter," Sato said.

However, he was inspired by Japanese Communist Party members who staged a protest at the factory gate against the automaker's ruthless layoff decision. He saw them shouting, "The termination of contracts before the date of expiration is illegal. It is in gross violation of the Labor Contract Law and other related regulations. Let's unite to protect our jobs and lives!"

One of the JCP members advised Sato to attend labor consultations held by lawyers and the All-Japan Metal and Information Machinery Workers' Union (JMIU). He attended one and learned that it is illegal for a company to lay off workers before their labor contract expires. He decided to join the union and participate in the struggle for justice.

A 44-year-old man, who had been a contingent worker at a subcontractor of Isuzu Motors, learned on TV news that a JMIU branch was established at Isuzu Motors. He soon called the JCP to get more information about the union and later participated in a meeting with the union. At that time, he lived on his wife's meager income and did not even have enough money to buy the train tickets to go to the job placement center. He was even thinking of committing suicide. "I was encouraged by union people, who told me, 'Don't give up! We can find a way forward together!'

The JMIU Isuzu branch, started by just four members, now has about 30 members. While demanding that the company withdraw the dismissals at a collective bargaining session, they also requested the court to impose injunctions against the dismissals.

Meanwhile, as part of a campaign to stop large corporations from firing contingent workers on a large scale, JCP Chair Shii Kazuo visited Isuzu Motors headquarters to demand that the company retract its dismissal plan.

Three weeks after the establishment of the union branch, the union succeeded in protecting 550 fixed-term contract workers' jobs. This was a big step forward.

Miura Yoshinori, 27, is the vice-head of the JMIU Isuzu Motors branch. He has been working at the Isuzu Fujisawa plant. He said, "This is just the beginning of our struggles. Our goal is to protect the jobs of all contingent workers, including temporary workers, and force the company to employ them as full-time regular workers."

Sato added, "It's great to participate in a united effort. I believe the union has a tremendous power. It's time for us to expand this solidarity movement."

The open struggle against the illegal layoff of contingent workers began with the establishment of the JMIU Isuzu Motors branch, which was founded on December 3 by four temporary and fixed-term contract workers at the Isuzu Tochigi plant.

Forty-six year-old Chair Matsumoto Hirotoshi, who had been concerned that he would be fired after working 35 months, consulted the JMIU about his concern and joined the union before the JMIU Isuzu branch was established.

"As I knew nothing about workers' rights, I studied about them with the union and realized that the company should offer more full-time positions and that this is not just an issue of Isuzu workers. Although the dismissal notice came almost without warning, I had already made up my mind to launch a union," said Matsumoto.

Hoshino Sadao, 60, used to be a full-time worker. He was recently rehired as a contract worker after reaching retirement age in September. He has been supporting Matsumoto and other contingent workers. After the Kawasaki plant closed in 2002, he moved to the Tochigi plant and has since been working with contingent workers.

He said: "I was thinking of joining the JMIU to support contingent workers after retirement and losing my membership in the company union at Isuzu. When we were advised to establish the union, I immediately decided to participate in its founding. Contingent workers should be credited with helping to make the high profits for the company. Isuzu has to fulfill its social responsibility to improve their working conditions and offer them full-time position."

Inspired by the Isuzu workers' struggle, more contingent workers are organizing up. So far, 20 unions have been established and have achieved limited results.

Temporary workers at the Mazda Hofu plant in Hiroshima negotiated with their staffing agency and forced it to retract their dismissal.

A Nissan Diesel Motor worker won the withdrawal of his dismissal.

Temporary workers at Oita Canon made their staffing agency pay them extra compensation.

On December 14, unionized workers throughout Japan held a joint press conference at the Labor Ministry. Although affiliated with different central unions, including the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren), the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), and the National Trade Union Council (Zenrokyo), they decided to join forces and promised to work together. A reporter said, "This appears to be a new labor movement."

Matsumoto said, "We have been encouraged by the increasing labor struggles. We was able to win a retraction of layoffs of fixed-term contract workers by increasing the solidarity of workers throughout the country. We should never give up and work to pave a way forward. I want to invite more workers to stand up and fight together."

- Akahata January 1, 2009