Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2011 December 14 - 20 [LABOR]

Panasonic subsidiary guards get their jobs secured

Four guards of a security company affiliated to Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd. joined a trade union to negotiate with the Panasonic subsidiary and got their jobs secured, as the first success in defending jobs against the Panasonic group’s nationwide restructuring program.

PEW Building Management (Kadoma City, Osaka Pref.) is located near the PEW head office. The security company instructed all its 150 employees to choose by the middle of December between transfers to outside subcontracting agencies and voluntary early retirement.

If they accept assignment to the subcontractors, their annual income will be reduced by 1.5 million yen to 2.4 million yen, including overtime pay. Their status will be unstable as they lose their regular positions.

The restructuring program was announced in October, when there was no trade union at the company. However, employees protested against the restructuring, saying that the company was in the black.

There were many who were driven into retirement by giving up fighting against the Panasonic group.

Nakamoto Toshihiko is the only member of an electric and information workers’ union in which any worker can join as an individual worker. At Nakamoto’s call, the number of members increased to four, and their collective bargaining with the company resulted in the company confirming their right to retain their jobs.

However, the company instructed these union members to be transferred to distant workplaces. Nakamoto and the others insisted on the need to stay within commutable distance because of parents requiring nursing care and forced the company confirm their request.

Nishino Ken’ichi, chair of the union’s Kansai district headquarters, said, “The union has opposed the unfair restructuring by pointing out that the law requires the worker’s consent if the company wants to transfer him/her. Collective bargaining has the strength to realize workers’ requests.”