Japan Press Weekly

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2015 July 29 - August 4 [LABOR]

Court rejects coffee shop worker’s demand for withdrawal of unfair dismissal

The Tokyo District Court on July 31 unfairly rejected a coffee shop worker’s demand that the company retract its decision to not renew her contract.

The plaintiff, who is a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Youth Union, worked as a part-time worker at an outlet of Japan’s major coffee shop chain “Caffe Veloche” in Chiba Prefecture for nearly five years by repeatedly renewing her three-month contract.

The revised labor contract law, which came into effect in April 2013, requires employers to offer an open-ended contract to fixed-term contract workers who have worked for more than five years with repeated renewals of their contract.

In March 2013, operator of the “Caffe Veloche” coffee shop chain, Chat Noir Company, Ltd, introduced a new rule under which fixed-term contract workers who have worked for four years will be unable to renew their contracts. Three months later, the company imposed this rule on the plaintiff. She filed a lawsuit against the company seeking the withdrawal of her dismissal and payment of compensation.

At a press conference after the ruling, the plaintiff expressed her determination to continue fighting, saying, “I’m very upset with the ruling. I will do my utmost for others working under unstable employment conditions.”

Her lawyer Sasayama Naoto said, “The court rejection totally runs counter to the labor contract act’s main aim to provide job security to workers.”

Past related articles:
> Skilled part-timer reveals in court coffee shop chain’s unfair dismissal [September 25, 2013]
> Young part-time worker sues coffee shop chain for refusal to renew contract [July 24, 2013]