Japan Press Weekly

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2013 June 12 - 18 [LABOR]

Kyoto Univ. workers sue for unfair pay cuts

On June 11, 96 members of the Kyoto University Labor Union filed a lawsuit with the Kyoto District Court demanding that Kyoto University pay them a total of 11.83 million yen which was deducted from their salaries.

The national government since February 2012 has instructed independent administrative agencies and national university corporations to reduce the salaries of their staff as central government employees’ wages were decreased by 7.8% on average.

Following the directive, Kyoto University cut its employees’ salaries by up to 4.35% in August last year without the union’s consent.

Union Chair Takayama Kanako in a news conference said, “The financial situation of the University is sound. The pay cut has no reasonable grounds, and we cannot accept it. It is a shameful behavior for the university which seeks to obtain a top-ranking reputation in the world.”

Similar lawsuits were filed with district courts around the country by 320 people. The plaintiffs are members of Faculty and Staff Union of Japanese Universities (Zendaikyo)-affiliated unions at the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Fukuoka University of Education, and Yamagata and Toyama universities.