Animation designer files lawsuit over dismissal

Japan Press Weekly

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Animation designer files lawsuit over dismissal

An animation designer has filed a lawsuit wtih the Tokyo District Court against Japan's major animation firm producing "One Piece" and "Dragon Ball", seeking direct employment status.

The plaintiff is Chida Kunihiro, who is a member of the Toei Animation Labor Union (affiliated to the Federation of Cinema and Theatrical Workers Unions of Japan). After 26 years of service with Toei Animation, he was notified by the company that it will terminate his contract as "outsourced individual contractor" in March of next year.

Chida has worked at Toei since 1984, taking part in the production of animation for such programs as "Dragon Ball" and "One Piece," as well as giving technical workshops both in Japan and abroad. Since 2007, he has worked as an instructor at Toei's animation school.

The company claims that Chida is not a direct employee but an outsourced contractor whose contract will expire due to the closure of its animation school.

However, the veteran animation designer has worked all this time under the orders of the company, an illegal corporate practice called "disguised contract work."

"For 30 to 40 years, Toei has used workers with‘outsourced contracts' without hiring any regular employees," said the plaintiff's lawyer Osonoe Hiroyuki, who also said that such illegal working practices must be redressed at a time when increasing numbers of workers are working as temporary employees.

- Akahata, November 11, 2010