Japan Press Weekly

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2009 April 15 - 21 [LABOR]

Nippon Thompson to give 13 temporary workers direct employment

Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd., a needle roller bearing manufacturer, agreed to provide direct employment as fixed-term contractors to 13 temporary workers, who received dismissal notices before their contract terms ended, Akahata has learned.

In the negotiation with the All-Japan Metal and Information Machinery Workers’ Union (JMIU) and its Nippon Thompson Branch on April 16, the company accepted the union’s demand.

JMIU Nippon Thompson Branch Chair Maeo Yoshiharu said, “Based on the unity between temporary and full-time workers and with public support, we achieved this success. Workers’ demands can be achieved if they fight a united battle by joining unions.”

The union decided to continue to struggle urging the company to offer full-time position because the term of direct employment expires at the end of September.

Nippon Thompson gave dismissal notices at the end of March to temporary workers who worked at the Nippon Thompson Himeji plant for more than five years, including periods of work as “disguised independent contractors”.

13 temporary workers established their own union affiliated with JMIU and made a request to a local labor bureau demanding full-time positions. Recognizing that the company violated the Worker Dispatch Law, the labor bureau issued a directive which urges the company to correct the situation by providing direct employment to temporary workers.