Part-timers at beef restaurant get right to use paid holidays

A fast food restaurant chain, which is famous for beef dishes, has promised to allow its unionized young part timers to use their paid holidays.

Matsuya Foods, the operator of about 450 beef restaurants throughout the country, employs about 10,000 workers, mostly part-timers. It used to dissuade the part-time workers from using their paid holidays by not informing them of the right to use them.

Young part time workers at one of the "Matsuya" chain restaurants in Tokyo founded the Matsuya branch of the Young Contingent Workers' Union and negotiated with the company management. As a result, Matsuya Foods agreed to give nine-day paid holidays, paying for 5.5 hours (about 5,000 yen) per day to the workers who have been working there for 18 months or longer.

The Young Contingent Workers' Union runs a campaign of letting more Matsuya part-timers know about their rights by distributing cards stating, "Part-time workers have the right to use paid holidays." (end)