September 7, 2014
Japan’s largest home appliance chain Yamada Denki Co., Ltd. won this year’s “Black Corporation” award for the worst working conditions, a civil group hosting the event on September 6 announced.
As the reason for its selection, the group said that the company shows no remorse for its workers’ work-related suicides.
In 2004, a Yamada worker committed suicide due to long working hours. Three years later, a 23-year-old male employee killed himself after suffering from excessive overtime work. The worker, who entered Yamada Denki as a non-regular employee, was suddenly assigned to a full-time manager position one month before his death. He worked 47.5 hours of overtime during the one week before his death. The labor ministry-set guidelines warn that more than 100 hours of overtime a month could lead to death from overwork (karoshi).
The “Black Corporation” award was established in 2012 by a civil group consisting of union activists, academics, and lawyers in order to increase public awareness of black corporations abusing their workers, especially young workers, under illegal, harsh labor practices, such as excessively long working hours, abuse of power by managers, and unpaid overtime.
This year, the group gave special recognition to the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly for its lack of adequate response to the sexist jeering that a woman assembly member had to suffer during an assembly session.
Past related articles:
> Nominees for 2014 ‘Black Corporation’ award announced [July 31, 2014]
> Watami receives ‘Black Corporation’ award [August 13, 2013]
> Parents sue home appliance chain for their son’s overwork suicide [December 13, 2013]
As the reason for its selection, the group said that the company shows no remorse for its workers’ work-related suicides.
In 2004, a Yamada worker committed suicide due to long working hours. Three years later, a 23-year-old male employee killed himself after suffering from excessive overtime work. The worker, who entered Yamada Denki as a non-regular employee, was suddenly assigned to a full-time manager position one month before his death. He worked 47.5 hours of overtime during the one week before his death. The labor ministry-set guidelines warn that more than 100 hours of overtime a month could lead to death from overwork (karoshi).
The “Black Corporation” award was established in 2012 by a civil group consisting of union activists, academics, and lawyers in order to increase public awareness of black corporations abusing their workers, especially young workers, under illegal, harsh labor practices, such as excessively long working hours, abuse of power by managers, and unpaid overtime.
This year, the group gave special recognition to the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly for its lack of adequate response to the sexist jeering that a woman assembly member had to suffer during an assembly session.
Past related articles:
> Nominees for 2014 ‘Black Corporation’ award announced [July 31, 2014]
> Watami receives ‘Black Corporation’ award [August 13, 2013]
> Parents sue home appliance chain for their son’s overwork suicide [December 13, 2013]
