Rengo-affiliate NTT union does not speak for workers

Japan Press Weekly

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Rengo-affiliate NTT union does not speak for workers

“The union didn’t protect us at all.” “Is this really a workers’ union?” Former contract workers of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corporation Hokkaido Branch (NTT East - Hokkaido) are raising this question concerning the NTT Trade Union’s function.

In early March this year, NTT East - Hokkaido was trying to change the status of its 700 contract employees to temporary worker status of an NTT Group’s staffing agency.

At that time, the union, affiliated with the pro-corporate Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), held a meeting to explain to these contract employees about the company’s employment transfer plan.

A union official told them that a female contract employee in her 30s had joined the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren)-affiliated Tele-Communication Workers’ Union and had retracted her written consent on her transfer. She will remain to be a contract employee as before, the official explained.

However, he went on to say, “Don’t you think that she is a sneak? While all of you here are being asked to be staffing agency workers, only this person can remain on the company’s payroll. That’s not fair, is it? But, don’t worry! She will no longer receive seasonal bonuses and her contract will not be renewed next time.”

A person who was present at the meeting said, “I was made to feel that the union was blackmailing us into being quiet and accepting the transfer.”

With what qualification can the union speak of the worker’s future treatment on behalf of the company? This union does not protect workers’ rights but harasses workers in league with the company.

The NTT Trade Union has consistently worked along with NTT East - Hokkaido in regard to the transfer plan of all contract employees to the NTT Group-owned staffing agency.

Several months before the company’s announcement of the transfer plan, the union began calling on the contract employees to be NTT Trade Union members. Most of the contract employees joined the union because they thought that the union would do something to protect their employment status. They are now very disappointed with this union.

The NTT Trade Union reportedly makes a considerable amount of political donations to the ruling Democratic Party of Japan by using a loophole in the law. This clearly reveals that a union which supports a specific political party and acts together with management does not defend workers’ rights at all.

- Akahata, May 21, 2010