Japan Press Weekly

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2012 December 12 - 18 [CIVIL RIGHTS]

Osakans file suit against mayor’s political activities survey

Osaka residents on December 12 filed a lawsuit at the local district court calling on Osaka City to demand compensation from Mayor Hashimoto Toru for his compulsory survey regarding municipal workers’ political activities.

The amount of compensation they seek is 9,111,880 yen, which was paid to members of a third-party survey team established by the mayor.

The lawsuit was filed by 52 members of the Osaka citizens network after their requests for an audit on the payment in question were turned down twice by the city’s audit committee.

In the survey conducted in February, Mayor Hashimoto ordered municipal workers to answer whether or not they had participated in political or union activities. Facing severe public criticism, the city had to destroy the survey forms collected from the workers.

The plaintiffs claim that the survey has violated municipal workers’ constitutional freedom of thought, freedom of political activities, as well as basic labor rights and the right to organize.