Japan Press Weekly

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2015 October 28 - November 3 [LABOR]

Court recognizes depression of NTT worker as work-related

The Oita District Court on October 29 acknowledged depression of a telecom worker who was forced to accept early retirement as work-related.

In October 2007, the NTT West worker, who was 50 years old at that time, was forced to accept early retirement and reemployment by NTT subsidiaries at lower wages. The NTT Group then adopted a system of retirement at the recommended age of 50 as part of its corporate restructuring scheme. For family reasons, he chose to remain with the company until he turned the mandatory retirement age of 60. Two of his bosses soon began putting pressure on him relentlessly to accept early retirement. A month later he developed depression.

He claimed workman’s compensation but was rejected so he filed a lawsuit seeking the cancellation of the local Labor Standards Inspection Office’s decision to not pay him work-related compensation.

The court ruled that the psychological pressure from the two superiors was excessive enough to cause him to suffer from a serious state of mental depression.

After the ruling was made, his lawyers criticized the allowance of power harassment in the NTT Group workplace as well as the local labor enforcement office for neglecting its duty to give assistance to the worker.

The plaintiff said, “I want to thank all my lawyers, doctors, and those in the Telecommunication Industry Workers’ Union who supported me for so long.”

Past related article:
> Court again rules on NTT West’s unfair labor practice [September 29, 2010]