Labor counselors have dealt with 4,483 complaint cases this year

Local trade unions and labor centers have already given counseling to 4,483 labor complaint cases during the first half of the year, leading many to settlements through negotiations with employers, the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) announced on July 23.

The result shows that adverse effects of corporate restructuring and the prolonged economic recession remain.

The percentage of counseling related to unpaid wages is the highest (20%), followed by dismissals (18.4%) and forced retirements (8.1%). An increasing number of woman workers, especially young women, contacted the local Zenroren unions for advice. The number of part timers and temporary workers seeking counsel rose sharply.

For example, a 23-year-old woman temporary worker complained, "When I asked the company to provide social insurance, a person responsible suddenly got angry by shouting who would pay for it." A 34-year-old woman part-timer said, "The company says there are no paid holidays for part-timers. This is against the law, isn't it?" A 31-year-old woman full-time worker said, "Just after I demanded to be paid a seasonal allowance, I was sacked." A 28-year-old male regular worker complained, "I work from 8 a.m. to midnight. Although I even have my lunch while driving, I get no overtime pay." A 42-year-old male regular worker asked, "Excessively long working hours and heavy workloads made my lower back pain worse and I now have difficulty walking. Am I eligible to receive workers' accident compensation?" (end)