Zenkoku Ippan Tokyo General Union (Tozen Union) sued Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT) Thursday in the Tokyo Labor Commission, claiming the university had committed unfair labor practices.
Tozen claims the school’s planned firing of all union members next year (except one who will retire) constitutes illegal union busting. Union teachers have been striking sporadically since June not only to keep their jobs next year but to win permanent employment.
SIT shocked Tozen members last month by firing the local union’s treasurer for asking replacement teachers not to scab and to join the union instead.
The university says it’s setting up a committee to reconsider the decision to fire the treasurer but no such committee exists to reconsider next year’s mass layoffs.
Although the strike has grown since it began, some SIT teachers have yet to join the strike. We at Tozen call on all teachers and staff to join the union and join the strike. Let’s win job security for all SIT employees and stop SIT’s illegal union-busting.