Japan Press Weekly

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2024 March 6 - 12 [LABOR]

Union urges Tokyo gov’t to withdraw its unfair dismissals of 250 school counselors

A union of non-regular workers at municipal governments in Tokyo on March 5 urged the Tokyo Metropolitan government to withdraw its plan to terminate employment contracts of 250 school counselling workers at the end of March.

The 250 school counselors are fixed-term contract Tokyo government employees and have worked for many years by having their contracts renewed.

According to the union which is affiliated with the Japan Federation of Prefectural and Municipal Workers' Unions (Jichiroren) and which organizes more than 30 school counselling workers, the 250 workers failed in their interviews, which were required for continued employment, because they were asked unfair questions.

Endo Michie, one of the 250 workers, has 22-years of service as a school counselor. She said, “The Tokyo government’s dismissal decision is causing concern among students and their guardians. The Tokyo government is intending to terminate counselors’ employment contracts in an unfair manner. It is unacceptable.”

Deputy Secretary General of the union, Harada Niki, criticized the Tokyo government’s massive dismissal of 250 school counsellors and said that the Tokyo government should comply with an Internal Affairs Ministry’s notification requiring municipal governments to take into account the service records of non-regular public employees when renewing their contracts.