June 30, 2021

Young unionized workers at Japan’s major moving company, Osaka-based Sakai Moving Service Co., Ltd, on June 29 applied to the Kanagawa Labor Relations Commission for an order for the relief of unfair labor practices.

They are members of a local of the National Union of General Workers (Zenkoku-ippan) affiliated with the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren). The union was formed last year mainly by workers in their 20s working at a Sakai branch in Kanagawa’s Kawasaki City with the aim of achieving better working conditions, including increasing the base pay from the current 60,000-80,000 yen a month under the salary plus commission system and eliminating excessively long working hours.

According to the union, the company has employed various union-busting tactics, including refusing to negotiate sincerely with the union and holding individual interviews with young workers at company offices across Japan for the purpose of preventing them from joining the union. In addition, last year just a few days after the formation of the union, the company unilaterally reduced union members’ work hours and isolated union members from other workers. On top of this, the company on June 21 took disciplinary action against the union leader, Omori Riku, by making a false charge and ordered him to undergo a training program at the company’s head office.

At a press conference after the filing, the 25-year-old union head Omori said, “The training program in question was suddenly set up because the company wants to put me away from the union. I think this act constitutes an unfair labor practice.” Union’s vice head Oguma Tsubasa (23) said, “The isolation from other workers is mentally hard for union members.”

Past related article:
> Young workers at moving company form union for better working conditions [June 18, 2021]