Japan Press Weekly

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2016 June 8 - 14 [LABOR]

Shipyard subcontracted workers win court decision to revoke their unfair dismissals

The Matsuyama District Court Imabari branch on June 7 issued a ruling overturning the unfair dismissals of three workers by a shipyard subcontractor in Ehime Prefecture and ordered the company to pay back their wages.

The three workers are members of an Ehime general workers’ union which is affiliated with the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren). They worked at Sunada Kogyo, a welding subcontractor of Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.

In 2012, Sunada dismissed the three union workers by using the closing down of business as an excuse, while relocating other workers to a new company which was founded by the Sunada family to continue the shipyard subcontract business.

The court ruling pointed out that the subcontractor fired the three workers without imminent need in violation of four legal requirements to initiate dismissal, which constitutes an abuse of power. The court also stated that the new company was established with the aim of evading labor disputes and other legal responsibilities.