Japan Press Weekly

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2013 January 9 - 15 TOP3 [LABOR]

Shiseido’s ‘ugly’ dismissal of temporary workers

Female temporary workers are waging a struggle to get their unfair dismissals revoked by the major cosmetic maker, Shiseido, whose sales pitch points to its efforts to create a female-friendly workplace.

They are members of the Anfini branch of the National Union of General Workers (Zenkoku-Ippan) affiliated with the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren).

In May 2009, Anfini Corporation, which supplies contract workers for the production of cosmetics to Shiseido’s Kamakura factory, dismissed 22 contract workers, including Zenkoku-Ippan branch chair Ikeda Kazuyo, before their contracts expired. Anfini also fired Tsuyuki Mika and the other contract worker shortly after they joined the union.

Dispatched by Anfini, Ikeda worked at the factory for more than eight years and Tsuyuki for more than six years. Under labor laws, Shiseido employees at the factory were prohibited from directly instructing Anfini’s contract workers. However, Ikeda and other workers from Anfini worked under Shiseido workers’ supervision like temporary agency workers.

This labor practice is regarded as disguised contract labor. Employers use such a tactic to evade their obligation under the Worker Dispatch Law to offer full-time positions to temporary workers when the use of them exceeds the legal limit of three years.

Ikeda and Tsuyuki worked at the factory for more than three years, so Shiseido should have offered them direct employment.

Shiseido has boasted of its efforts to create a female-friendly workplace environment.

The company in September 2004 as a supporter of corporate social responsibility expressed its will to join the UN Global Compact framework which calls on businesses to effectively recognize workers’ rights to form unions and bargain collectively as well as to eliminate discrimination in employment and occupation. In September 2010, the company signed the CEO Statement of Support for the Women’s Empowerment Principles of the UN Women which calls for treating all women and men fairly at work.

Ikeda and six other laid-off workers in June 2010 filed a lawsuit with the Yokohama District Court against Shiseido and Anfini demanding fulltime employment.

In June 2012 at the general meeting of Shiseido’s shareholders, when Ikeda asked about the company’s responsibility to hire Anfini’s laid-off workers, a company official replied, “Shiseido has no legal and moral responsibility” over the matter. Shiseido has refused to respond to demands from the Anfini branch.


Related past articles:

> 7 female temporary workers fight against Shiseido’s dismissal[December 11,2009]
> Shiseido illegally dismissed temporary workers[December 25,2009]