Systematic union busting by Japanese retailer AOKI
Emergency Resolution on support to AOKI Group Union
AOKI Group Union, affiliated to UI ZENSEN is faced with systematic union busting, explicitly forcing the workers to disaffiliate from the union under the direction of Hironori Aoki, Chairman of AOKI Holdings Inc. since June 2010.
In consequence of the unfair labour practices by the Company, the union membership dropped to 225 as of October 2010 from 1,642 at its peak period of June 2010.
UI ZENSEN formed Committee for Democratization of AOKI Group in August 2010 and developed various actions against the Company, including collective bargaining, appeal to the Labour Relation Commission for relief from unfair labour practices and unified national protest actions by all affiliates of UI ZENSEN. As a result, Mass media highly publicized the case. In addition, Statement on Solidarity Support to AOKI Group Union was adopted at 3rd UNI World Congress, which took place in Nagasaki in November last year.
Through these support actions and organizing activities to restore membership of AOKI Group Union, its membership showed recovery with 307 members as of 11th January, 2011.
On the other hand, AOKI Holdings Inc. and AOKI Inc. continue to refuse presence of Chairman Aoki at collective bargaining and the local labour relations commission in spite of the Union’s repeated request to do so. The Companies just repeat its false allegation that the Companies do not recognize any unfair labour practices as the Union claims.
The unfair labour practices committed by the Companies against AOKI Group Union are a challenge to UI ZENSEN and its 1,090,000 members from 2,416 affiliates, which are making efforts to promote free and democratic labour movement. Moreover, it is a serious violation of rights of all workers. We can never accept the Companies’ action.
We resolve that we will extend full support to AOKI workers until AOKI Holdings Inc. and AOKI Inc. admit their unfair labour practices, express their apology in written form, ensure restoration of union membership and engage with the union in faithful manner to establish sound industrial relation.
Statement from 9th UI ZENSEN Central Committee Meeting, 27 January, 2011 Tokyo