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2020 January 29 - February 4 TOP3 [LABOR]

Tokyo labor board issues demand to Dow Chemical subsidiary regarding plant closing plan

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Labor Relations Commission on January 27 issued a demand that a subsidiary of the U.S-based Dow Chemical Company “sincerely” negotiate with the union on the planned closure of a factory in Nagoya.

The industrial relations board made this demand in response to a complaint filed in December 2019 by the union at the Japan Acrylic Chemical Co., Ltd. Nagoya plant which is a local of the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren)-affiliated National Union of General Workers (Zenkoku-Ippan).

Following the issuance of the labor board’s demand, the Zenkoku-Ippan local and its legal team on January 30 held a press conference in the Tokyo government office building.

Zenkoku-Ippan branch chair Hayashi Yoshihiro said, “The company has been operating in the black and hoarding money in internal reserves. We, workers at the Nagoya factory are devoted to maintain our world-class product quality. It is absolutely unacceptable for the company to unilaterally shut down the plant.”

Lawyer Sumi Ken’ichiro pointed out that one reason the labor relations commission made the demand is that the Dow Chemical subsidiary has used unfair tactics to push forward with the factory closing scheme, such as enforcing forcible early retirement and its refusal of the union’s request for collective bargaining. The lawyer said, “It’s obvious that Japan Acrylic decided to close its factory under instructions from its parent company Dow Chemical in America. As shown in this case, many multinational companies discard local workers at their whim and convenience. Such outrageous behavior is unacceptable.”