Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2016 January 20 - 26 [LABOR]

Court disapproves of recognizing flight mechanic as having died from overwork

The Tokyo District Court on January 21 dismissed the demand of the bereaved family of a 53-year-old flight mechanic at Skymark Airlines Inc. that his death be recognized as “karoshi (death from overwork)”.

Inomata Takahiro, a 35-year veteran in aircraft maintenance, in December 2000 moved to Japan’s leading low-cost carrier Skymark from All Nippon Airways and in June 2008 died from subarachnoid hemorrhage on the way to work. The Labor Standards Inspection Office in Tokyo’s Ota Ward, which covers Inomata’s workplace, concluded that his death is not recognized as work-related.

Inomata’s bereaved family in August 2011 filed with the Tokyo District Court a lawsuit demanding revocation of the labor law enforcement’s decision.

In the legal battle, the plaintiffs insisted that under the LCC’s cost-cutting policies and shortage of skilled mechanics, Inomata had to take on extra work burdens. They also pointed out that Inomata’s jobs included night shifts without a proper sleep break and work outdoors even under severe weather conditions.

The district court acknowledged that it failed to discover precise information about Inomata’s working hours because Skymark submitted inappropriate data. The court, however, turned down the plaintiffs’ claim that Inomata shouldered heavy workloads.

At a rally held after the ruling, a group of bereaved families of workers who died from overwork and their supporters said that if judicial authorities overlook excessively long working hours by using corporate poor record-keeping as an excuse, “black corporations” would have a free hand to impose excessive working hours on workers.

Plaintiffs’ lawyer criticized the court for refusing to recognize Inomata’s death as work-related.