Japan Press Weekly

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2015 July 8 - 14 [LABOR]

Wife of Toyota worker who committed suicide launches court battle for official recognition of his death as work-related

The wife of a Toyota worker who killed himself at the age of 40 filed on July 10 with the Nagoya District Court a lawsuit against the state, demanding official recognition of her husband’s death as work-related.

According to the plaintiff, in April 2008, the husband, an engineer at the Toyota headquarters, was assigned to various jobs, including preparation for mass production of the new model of Toyota Prius. In September that year, as a result of corporate downsizing measures in the aftershock of the bankruptcy of the Lehmann Brothers, he was imposed heavier workloads with tight deadlines. He also experienced “power harassment” from his boss, such as being yelled at with the use of abusive language. In 2010, the man committed suicide.

The bereaved wife submitted a claim for the recognition that her husband died due to excessively heavy workloads to a local labor standard inspection office in Toyota City where the Toyota head office is located. However, the labor inspection authority rejected her claim. The wife then decided to take the case to court.

At a press conference after the filing of the claim, the plaintiff expressed her hope that this lawsuit will help reveal why her husband ended up committing suicide.

Her lawyer Umemura Koji said, “It seems to me that at Toyota there is a repressive work atmosphere. So, if a worker commits suicide after being pushed to his/her limit physically and mentally, not only his/her colleagues but also bereaved family members can’t ask questions. I hope this court battle will contribute to eliminating such an atmosphere of intimidation.”