Japan Press Weekly

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2015 November 18 - 24 [LABOR]

Contract workers at crippled Fukushima NPP win unpaid wages in court

Two workers engaged in work related to the decommissioning of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant recently won payment of unpaid wages by accepting a court-mediated settlement in the Sendai District Court.

In July 2011, four months after the meltdown at the nuclear power station, the two workers were tasked to deliver fuel to the power station from the headquarters site set up to bring the crippled power plant under control. A company that undertook the fuel delivery from the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, contracted with the workers for the job at a daily wage of 25,000 yen, but soon reduced the wage. The two drivers protested against the pay cuts and suffered unfair dismissals in October 2012.

The two workers joined a local union affiliated with the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) and demanded that the company withdraw their dismissals and pay unpaid wages in collective bargaining sessions. However, the company rejected their demands. In July 2013, they filed a lawsuit against their employer and TEPCO.

The court arranged a compromise settlement in support of the workers’ demand. The two sides reached the settlement in early October and the drivers won a payment of 3.5 million yen each.

At a rally held on November 16 in Sendai City, one of the plaintiffs said to the participants, “We worked hard to help recover from the nuclear accident even with the danger of being exposed to radiation. But the companies unilaterally cut our wages and dismissed us. It was totally unacceptable. We won the court battle thanks to your support.”