December 4, 2025

The National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) on December 3 staged a day of action in support of its affiliates and workers fighting against unfair dismissals and other unfair labor practices by large corporations, such as Google Japan and Hitachi.

In front of the office of Google Japan LLC in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward, the Japan Metal, Manufacturing, Information and Telecommunication Workers’ Union (JMITU) Alphabet Union branch held a rally to demand that the company stop dismissing workers with the use of a “performance improvement program (PIP)” and imposing cuts in seasonal bonuses on workers who refused to accept early retirement offers.

Alphabet Union chair Kobayashi Saho pointed out that the company, with the aim of forcing workers into early retirement, arbitrarily gives low evaluations to targeted workers, mainly foreigners and women, and orders them to participate in the PIP. She expressed her determination to press the company to discontinue its unfair downsizing tactic using the PIP.

At a rally in front of the Hitachi head office near Tokyo Station, two members of the Denki-Joho Union, which organizes individual workers in the electronics and information industries, called on the company to accept their demand for reemployment after reaching the company-set retirement age of 65. They have been waging a legal battle utilizing the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct.

Similar actions took place in front of the offices of IBM Japan, Japan Airlines, and Tokyo Electric Power Company.

Past related articles:
> Denki-Joho Union resolves to utilize international labor standards to fight against corporate downsizing [September 18, 2025]
> Google Japan workers sue company over unfair pay cuts [February 1, 2025]