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Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Labor Tribunal System to start in April

The new labor tribunal system (LTS) will start on April 1 as part of the effort to seek prompt and efficient settlement of individual labor disputes over dismissals and alteration of working conditions.

In a bid to use this new system in the best interests of workers, the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) held a meeting on February 16 in Tokyo to study the new system in which 51 Zenroren-recommended members were appointed to the tribunal by the Supreme Court.

Individual labor disputes over dismissals and wage cuts used to take a long time. The LTS will be set up at 50 district courts throughout Japan in order to settle these labor disputes with not more than three tribunals. A tribunal is made up of a three-member committee consisting of two tribunes (one from labor and one from management) and a judge. This is the first legal procedure with the worker taking part in the process of seeking settlement through consultations.

Five hundred tribunes will be appointed from labor and management respectively.

In a published speech in the study meeting, Zenroren President Bannai Mitsuo said, "The appointment of 51 Zenroren members to the tribunal is historic. Let us struggle to defend the jobs and rights of non-regular and unorganized workers."

In 2004, 820,000 cases of labor disputes were filed with local labor bureaus. There were about 160,000 individual labor disputes brought in, but only 1 percent were settled.

Workers have high expectations for the new system to help bring about impartial and prompt settlements of labor disputes. But problems remain in that there is the possibility that judges in tribunals will propose monetary settlements even though the corporate dismissal order is judged to be null.
- Akahata, February 17, 2006