Japan Press Weekly

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2017 May 17 - 23 [LABOR]

3 taxi drivers win withdrawal of dismissals and monetary compensation

Three taxi drivers, through Nagoya High Court mediation on May 7, won the withdrawal of their dismissals and a total of 17 million yen in compensation.

The three were drivers at the taxi company “Jonan Kotsu” in Toyama Prefecture.

They were unfairly discharged after they filed a complaint with a local Labor Standards Inspection Office over the company’s handling of on-duty accidents which they were involved in in 2015. Jonan Kotsu deducted repair costs from their wages without their consent.

These dismissed workers formed a Jonan Kotsu branch of the All Japan Construction, Transport, and General Workers’ Union (CGT, Kenkoro) and demanded collective negotiations. However, the company kept refusing to enter into negotiations. Thus, they decided to take the company to court in August 2015. The Toyama District Court in late 2016 handed down a judgement fully in favor of the three plaintiffs. Jonan Kotsu appealed this court decision to a higher court.

Matsuura Hideo, a plaintiff, said at a press conference held on the following day, “I hope that our victory in court will give the remaining Jonan Kotsu drivers the courage to speak out against unfair treatment by the company.”

Ishida Kazuo, another plaintiff, said, “I’d like to thank the union and many other people for their support.”

Past related article:
> Unionized taxi drivers win withdrawal of their unfair dismissals [December 1, 2016]