Japan Press Weekly

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2013 July 31 - August 13 [LABOR]

Lawyers form network against ‘black corporations’

A group of 52 lawyers on July 31 formed a nationwide network to provide support for victims of so-called “black corporations” which discard workers as if they were disposable garbage after using them under abusive working conditions.

Seeking to eradicate black corporations, the network plans to conduct research in cooperation with labor unions and relevant NGOs.

Representatives of the lawyers on the same day held a press conference in Tokyo. Lawyer Todate Yoshiyuki, secretary general of the network, emphasized the importance of the role of labor unions and said, “The network aims to serve as the primary refuge for young workers who have no access to unions.”

In the press conference, ex-workers of black corporations talked about their experiences at their workplaces.

A 33-year-old man who worked at a discount convenience store chain reported that he was forced to serve as a store manager nine months after entering the company and work excessively long hours without overtime pay.

A former beautician in her 20s said that she used to go to work at 1 p.m. and not get home until midnight. Despite the long working hours, the company refused to pay a night-work premium or overtime pay. Her boss always threatened workers into working overtime without pay by saying, “You are not allowed to go home before completing your sales quota.” Some of her colleagues spent their own money in order to fulfill their sales quotas, she added.

A university student who worked as an intern for a consulting firm said he had to be in the office from 7:30 a.m. to midnight, or even until 4 a.m. the following day. When he made a mistake or failed to finish a given task in time, his boss kicked him. The student rolled up his shirt sleeve and showed the bruises where he had been kicked by his boss.