Matsushita Plasma Display’s use of independent contractor in disguise is illegal: High court

The Osaka High Court has totally supported a worker who publicly condemned Japan’s major plasma display maker Matsushita Plasma Display Co. for illegally firing him after directly hiring him for five months.

Toshiba promises to not continue discrimination of workers lasting over 40 years

Toshiba Corporation on April 24 reached an agreement with 96 workers, who have been demanding that the electronics giant stop discriminating against workers who are Japanese Communist Party members and other social or political activists, and give them their due promotions and wage hikes.

No more ‘sympathy’ budget expenditure for U.S forces in Japan!

When Japan enacted the so-called “sympathy” budget in 1978 to pay for extra costs for the stationing of U.S. forces in Japan, the amount was 6.2 billion yen and its usage was limited to payment of fringe benefits to Japanese employees at U.S. bases but has grown to more than 208 billion yen.