Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2012 October 10 - 16 TOP3 [LABOR]

IBM conducts forcible ‘lockout’ dismissals

IBM Japan is carrying out “lockout” dismissals of union workers.

At the House of Councilors members’ building on October 12, representatives of the All-Japan Metal and Information Machinery Workers’ Union (JMIU) reported to Japanese Communist Party lawmakers Kasai Akira and Tamura Tomoko about the “new type of corporate attack” against workers.

According to the union members, IBM supervisors call workers around 5 p.m. right before closing time, give a notice of layoff on the grounds of “poor job performance,” and force them to leave the company right away. Since July, 11 JMIU workers have received dismissal notices in such a manner.

According to Matsuki Haruhiko, member of the Japan IBM branch of the JMIU, on September 18 he was suddenly notified of his dismissal and told to pack up his belongings by his boss around 5 p.m, then was forced to leave the company premises at 5:45. The rest of his personal goods were sent to him in a box the next day.

The company has sent dismissal notices to some other union members by e-mail or registered mail.

JCP Kasai and Tamura pointed out that the practice is a clear abuse of the right of dismissal. They promised to the union representatives that they will fight with them in order to have the administration denounce this human rights violation against workers.