July 23, 2011
Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Yamashita Yoshiki on July 22 in a House Budget Committee meeting urged the government to prevent Sony from downsizing its workforce in Miyagi Prefecture, devastated by the March 11 tsunami and quake.
Using disaster damage to the Sendai Plant in Miyagi as an excuse, Sony, one of world’s leading manufacturers of audio visual equipment, plans to transfer 280 full-time workers at the plant to other locations and cut all 150 fixed-term contract workers at the plant.
Yamashita referred to one small business owner in Miyagi who is struggling to reconstruct his marine product processing company, which was totally destroyed by the tsunami, while maintaining employment for its 800 workers.
“Isn’t it unacceptable for major companies like Sony to show their heels to disaster-hit areas without caring about their workers while small- and medium-sized companies are making efforts to avoid cutting jobs?,” he said.
Prime Minister Kan Naoto replied, “It’s not right for any company to dismiss its workers just because it was affected by a disaster. I request that the businesses not slash employment if possible.”
Yamashita said, “You appointed Sony Vice Chairman Chubachi Ryoji as a member of the government’s Disaster Design Council. Sony’s downsizing plan in Miyagi has a negative impact on disaster-recovery efforts. Will you let him do nothing about his company’s job cut in the disaster area?”
“I believe I appointed the right people as council members. I’ll hear an explanation about the situation from Sony,” said the prime minister.
Citing the fact that the use of just half of the 860 million yen in executive compensation paid to Sony Chairman and CEO Howard Stringer will pay for the 150 fixed-term contract jobs, Yamashita demanded that the government call on big corporations to fulfill their social responsibility to maintain employment and provide support to disaster-affected small business owners who are trying to keep their workers.
Using disaster damage to the Sendai Plant in Miyagi as an excuse, Sony, one of world’s leading manufacturers of audio visual equipment, plans to transfer 280 full-time workers at the plant to other locations and cut all 150 fixed-term contract workers at the plant.
Yamashita referred to one small business owner in Miyagi who is struggling to reconstruct his marine product processing company, which was totally destroyed by the tsunami, while maintaining employment for its 800 workers.
“Isn’t it unacceptable for major companies like Sony to show their heels to disaster-hit areas without caring about their workers while small- and medium-sized companies are making efforts to avoid cutting jobs?,” he said.
Prime Minister Kan Naoto replied, “It’s not right for any company to dismiss its workers just because it was affected by a disaster. I request that the businesses not slash employment if possible.”
Yamashita said, “You appointed Sony Vice Chairman Chubachi Ryoji as a member of the government’s Disaster Design Council. Sony’s downsizing plan in Miyagi has a negative impact on disaster-recovery efforts. Will you let him do nothing about his company’s job cut in the disaster area?”
“I believe I appointed the right people as council members. I’ll hear an explanation about the situation from Sony,” said the prime minister.
Citing the fact that the use of just half of the 860 million yen in executive compensation paid to Sony Chairman and CEO Howard Stringer will pay for the 150 fixed-term contract jobs, Yamashita demanded that the government call on big corporations to fulfill their social responsibility to maintain employment and provide support to disaster-affected small business owners who are trying to keep their workers.
