August 22, 2019

The Tokyo Labor Relations Commission on August 21 recognized Meikai University's unfair labor practice against the university's teachers' union and ordered the university to post a notice on campus which pledges "to not carry out dishonest acts again".

Since November 2011, university officials have been refusing to hold collective bargaining at a location desired by the Meikai University teachers' association which is affiliated with the Tokyo Federation of Private University Teachers' and Employees' Union.

The university authority has been prohibiting all union activities on university premises. It, in March 2016, took a newsletter the union sent to all teachers out of each teacher’s mailbox and took the letter from teachers who had already received it.

The Tokyo labor law enforcement office judged the newsletter collection as intervention in union activities by power "with intent to control union activities and debilitate the union."

In March 2017, immediately after the union filed a complaint with the Tokyo labor office, Meikai University punitively dismissed a professor who was a union officer. In March of this year, however, the Tokyo District Court nullified the dismissal.