March 13, 2013
The Kanagawa Labor Relations Commission on March 12 acknowledged that a wage cut and job transfer against a union executive by a social welfare corporation in Kawasaki City constitutes a clear case of unfair labor practice.
The union executive is Sato Masaki who works at a nursing-care facility operated by Kawasaki-based Himawarinokai social welfare corporation. He serves as the chair of a facility workers’ union which is a member of the Zenroren-affiliated National Union of Welfare and Childcare Workers (Fukushi-hoikuro).
Himawarinokai in February 2011 removed Sato from his position of being in charge of providing counseling services to users of the facility and cut his wages. Two months later, it transferred him to a job of driving a car which transports day service users to and from the facility. The corporation refused to negotiate with the union.
The labor board admitted that the corporation unfairly demoted Sato from a responsible position and decreased his salary on the ground that he heads the facility workers’ union. It ordered the corporation to pay the union chair back pay and reinstate him to his original position. It also pointed out that the corporation carried out the job transfer against Sato and took a hostile stance toward the union with the aim to interfere in union activities.
Later on the same day at a press conference Sato said, “I’ll work to improve the work environment based on the order.” The union plans to petition the Kawasaki City government to instruct the corporation to comply.
The union executive is Sato Masaki who works at a nursing-care facility operated by Kawasaki-based Himawarinokai social welfare corporation. He serves as the chair of a facility workers’ union which is a member of the Zenroren-affiliated National Union of Welfare and Childcare Workers (Fukushi-hoikuro).
Himawarinokai in February 2011 removed Sato from his position of being in charge of providing counseling services to users of the facility and cut his wages. Two months later, it transferred him to a job of driving a car which transports day service users to and from the facility. The corporation refused to negotiate with the union.
The labor board admitted that the corporation unfairly demoted Sato from a responsible position and decreased his salary on the ground that he heads the facility workers’ union. It ordered the corporation to pay the union chair back pay and reinstate him to his original position. It also pointed out that the corporation carried out the job transfer against Sato and took a hostile stance toward the union with the aim to interfere in union activities.
Later on the same day at a press conference Sato said, “I’ll work to improve the work environment based on the order.” The union plans to petition the Kawasaki City government to instruct the corporation to comply.
