Aviation workers' union criticizes JAL's 6,800 job cut plan

Japan Press Weekly

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

Aviation workers' union criticizes JAL's 6,800 job cut plan

Japan Airlines on September 15 announced that it will cut 6,800 jobs by 2011 and terminate 50 international and domestic routes at a panel meeting with the Transport Ministry held to discuss ways to reconstruct JAL's business.

At a news conference after this announcement, the Japan Federation of Aviation Workers' Unions (JFAU) criticized JAL's job cut plan, and stated that the reason for JAL's financial difficulties is its excessive investment in facilities and equipment.

Regarding the relation between the Transport Ministry's misconduct and JAL's management failure, JFAU Chair Yamaguchi Hiroya pointed out that the Transport Ministry had forced JAL to open new routes in accordance with construction of new airports based on the ministry's excessively high demand forecast and to buy new aircraft due to Japan-U.S. trade friction, and that Japan concluded an unfair agreement on airline business with the U.S.

Citing that Transport Minister Kaneko Kazuyoshi had said that a bank loan to JAL is combined with cuts in the amount of JAL's corporate pension benefits, Yamaguchi said, "What the Transport Ministry should do is to strengthen its supervising function in order to ensure transport safety and passengers' benefits based on the aviation law, not to intervene in JAL's business by imposing profitability and cost-cutting measures."

Yamaguchi also said, "Without solving the problem of the connection between JAL management and the Transport Ministry, it is impossible for JAL to become a healthy transport company that ensures safety and customers' benefits."

- Akahata, September 16, 2009