 Nikon and temp agency ordered to pay compensation for temp worker suicide The Tokyo District Court on March 31 ordered optical instrument maker Nikon and a staffing agency to pay 24 million yen in compensation for the death of a 23-year old temporary worker, who committed suicide because of overwork. In the ruling, Judge Shibata Toshifumi acknowledged that the excessively heavy workload was the major cause of Uendan Yuji's suicide. The amount of the ordered monetary compensation, however, was reduced by 30 percent due to the worker's alleged carelessness about his own health. Uendan joined a temporary staff agency in Nagoya City in 1977, and worked for the Nikon Kumagaya plant in Saitama Prefecture as a product inspector. He worked on a two 12-hour shift system for 15 consecutive days and even on holidays. Nikon argued that the company is not responsible for his death because he was a worker staffed by the agency. The court judged that the company that uses temporary workers is also responsible for paying attention to the safety of the staffed worker. The lawyer for the plaintiff said, "This is a landmark judgment in that it recognizes the excessive workload of night work and the severe working conditions for temporary workers in unstable jobs." (end) |