May 18, 2012
Workers for a company making background pictures for Japan’s popular cartoon films such as “Detective Conan” have brought their cases into court in order to stop illegal labor practice in the animation industry.
The plaintiffs are Yamada Toru, Igakura Tomoyuki, and Chen Yingru, members of labor unions in Tokyo. They testified at the first oral proceedings on May 17.
Yamada got a job at Studio Easter Company (Suginami City, Tokyo) in May 2006. He was in charge of a computer network system in his office. Three years later the company forced him to submit a written apology and demoted him for the reason that he advised his colleague hoping to take paid holidays and handed him an application form for that. Moreover, he was forcibly transferred to another workplace with a cut in wages in June last year.
Two months later Yamada heard of a union that allows individual workers to join and asked the union for help. “They told me that I am not to blame. Their words saved me,” he said. “Many workers are putting up with exploitative conditions. I want to question them about their stand in regard to fundamental human rights, the right of work, and responsibility,” he added.
Igakura has claimed workers’ compensation since he ruined his health by putting in excessive hours scanning pictures or layout sheets in the office. His boss repeatedly pressed him to resign, saying “You are useless because you are unable to work overtime owing to your illness,” or “There is nothing like ‘overtime work’ or ‘overtime pay’ in this industry.”
Attracted by Japanese animation films in her childhood, Taiwanese Chen Yingru studies Japanese. At last, she got a longed-for job in Japan in March last year. However, one day when she was about to go home on the last train, her boss said to her, “Why do you go home so EARLY?” The company paid no overtime money to her and forced her to resign at a “private interview” that lasted over 3 hours.
Chen said at court, “Is it right to make Japanese animation at the cost of the health and well-being of workers? Good work is created at workplaces where all people can work with an easy mind, I think.”
The plaintiffs are Yamada Toru, Igakura Tomoyuki, and Chen Yingru, members of labor unions in Tokyo. They testified at the first oral proceedings on May 17.
Yamada got a job at Studio Easter Company (Suginami City, Tokyo) in May 2006. He was in charge of a computer network system in his office. Three years later the company forced him to submit a written apology and demoted him for the reason that he advised his colleague hoping to take paid holidays and handed him an application form for that. Moreover, he was forcibly transferred to another workplace with a cut in wages in June last year.
Two months later Yamada heard of a union that allows individual workers to join and asked the union for help. “They told me that I am not to blame. Their words saved me,” he said. “Many workers are putting up with exploitative conditions. I want to question them about their stand in regard to fundamental human rights, the right of work, and responsibility,” he added.
Igakura has claimed workers’ compensation since he ruined his health by putting in excessive hours scanning pictures or layout sheets in the office. His boss repeatedly pressed him to resign, saying “You are useless because you are unable to work overtime owing to your illness,” or “There is nothing like ‘overtime work’ or ‘overtime pay’ in this industry.”
Attracted by Japanese animation films in her childhood, Taiwanese Chen Yingru studies Japanese. At last, she got a longed-for job in Japan in March last year. However, one day when she was about to go home on the last train, her boss said to her, “Why do you go home so EARLY?” The company paid no overtime money to her and forced her to resign at a “private interview” that lasted over 3 hours.
Chen said at court, “Is it right to make Japanese animation at the cost of the health and well-being of workers? Good work is created at workplaces where all people can work with an easy mind, I think.”
