Japan Press Weekly

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2013 October 23 - 29 [LABOR]

International pilots group calls for JAL dismissals to be settled

An international group of pilots on October 23 urged the Japanese government to settle the issue of Japan Airlines’ dismissals of pilots, which it criticized as impairing human dignity.

The group is the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA), representing 100,000 pilots in 100 countries.

Since JAL laid off 165 pilots and flight attendants in 2010, the IFALPA has supported the Japanese pilots’ court struggles seeking revocation of their dismissals. After being rejected by the Tokyo District Court, the case is now being fought in the Tokyo High Court.

In a statement it adopted at a meeting in Tokyo on that day, the IFALPA demands that the Japanese government comply with the International Labor Organization’s recommendation issued in June 2012, which calls on the state to ensure that JAL will negotiate with unions over the mass dismissals.

The statement points out: dismissals based on workers’ ages are banned in many countries; in the safety-sensitive industry, it is harmful to allow employers to lay off workers because they took sick leaves; and the downsizing obviously targeted current and former union officials.

Past related articles:
> ILO requests gov’t to encourage JAL to negotiate with unions (June 29, 2012)
> Pilots worldwide protest against court approval of JAL’s dismissal (May 10, 2012)