Japan Press Weekly

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2016 September 21 - 27 [LABOR]

Supreme Court recognizes JAL’s unfair labor practices over mass dismissal

The Supreme Court on September 23 dismissed the Japan Airlines (JAL) appeal against a high court decision which recognized that the company had interfered with union activities during its business restructuring process. With this dismissal, the unions’ victory was confirmed.

In November 2010, calling for negotiations with the management over the issue of a mass dismissal, the JAL Flight Crew Union and the JAL Cabin Crew Union voted to establish the right to strike. During the voting period, an executive of the Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corporation of Japan, the then rehabilitation administrator of JAL, said, “If the right to strike is established, the plan to invest 350 billion yen in the airlines will be canceled.”

Receiving a complaint from the unions, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Labor Relations Commission acknowledged in August 2011 that the executive’s remarks constitute an unfair labor practice. In 2014, the Tokyo District Court ruled in favor of the unions, and the Tokyo High Court upheld the lower court decision in 2015.

Past related article:
> Court again recognizes JAL’s unfair labor practice [June 19, 2015]