Japan Press Weekly

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2008 December 10 - 16 [LABOR]

Contract workers at Oita Canon join union and keep places to live

Four independent contractors at Oita Canon Inc. are fighting back against their dismissals through negotiations they are holding with the company after joining a local union.

On December 11, the four workers visited Oita Canon Inc. and their staffing firm in Oita Prefecture to negotiate over Canon’s plan to cut more than 1,000 non-regular workers. The four called for a retraction of their dismissals and securing their right to remain in their dormitory.

Three of them have been asked to leave the dormitory by December 15 due to the termination of their contracts, but they face difficulties returning to their parents’ home due to personal reasons.

Soon after the negotiation with staffing firm Nikken Sogyo Co., Ltd., the four won a reply that they can stay in the dormitory.

However, Oita Canon Inc. refused at first to accept a written request from them. Protests from local unions affiliated with the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) pressured the company to eventually accept the request, but it just stated that it would convey the request to the company headquarters.

President of Oita-Roren Abe Mineko accompanied the four to the negotiations and demanded that these two companies fulfill their social responsibility.