「かいな」3月2日号にも掲載した、アサイニーの方へのメッセージです。英語記事並びに抄訳を掲載します。
To all assignees in IBM Japan,
We guess you’ve been working hard since you came to IBM Japan to accomplish your mission and to achieve your goals here.
This paper is the labor press published by The All-Japan Metal and Information Machinery Workers’ Union (JMIU), IBM Japan Branch.
Today, we’d like to write here for you several things those you should understand clearly, because we suspect that you may not know the basic rules and responsibilities of the line managers (employers) to be compliant with the
Japanese laws, as we knew and experienced what have been done by the Resource Action Program since last October, the directions from you as well as from executives in IBM Corp. in the United States.
First of all, this IS Japan here, NOT your native country. Japanese Society and Japanese Laws may different from those of your country, especially from the US.
The Labour Standards Law in Japan (Article 18-2) states, A dismissal shall, where the dismissal lacks objectively rational grounds and is not considered to be appropriate in general societal terms, be treated as an misuse of that right and invalid. And the civil court precedents have been already establshed the doctrine of abuse the right of dismissal. There are four requirements for dismissal(*1). However, the big problem is in another place on the Resource Action Program done in Japan. You avoided the abuse of the right of dismissal, but instead, you did or have made the 1st and 2nd line managers do forcing employees to apply early retirement, beyond the limits of suggestions.
The suggestions normally allow the employees to select yes or no according to his/her right of choice, but, despite rejection of early retirement by employees again and again, the extorsive meetings more than three(3) times to push them hard for quitting IBM proved that those were not only the suggestions any more but ‘forcing’ retirement which is againt the Japanese law.
The ‘forcing retirement’ Resource Action Program caused employees the serious emotional distress and mental disease in many cases. In Japan, Several civil court precedents already ordered the companies to pay compensation in damages to plaintiffs in the very similar cases. ‘Forcing’ is obviously against the law (*2) and especially human rights violations in case of pushing by the arbitrary low appraisal or attacking the employees with health problems or physical imperfections. Those cases happened actually here in Japan IBM as you well know.
Secondly, let us tell you about the Japanese Society. In Japan, there was a time that lifetime employment was common in many companies, not too long ago. Therefore, because of not only the economy crisis now, but also the tendency in the Japanese society, the marketplace force for job change is very weak. So called ‘Safety network’ for employment as a social infrustructure is also very weak. Outplacement service does not work for a long time, never works in many cases. That means laborers are forced not to survive in the society. At least, the employees who rejected to apply Resource Action and got the low appraisal and will receive the far lower bonus will be facing the serious hardships of life. However, there are many cases of PBC 4 without any satisfactory nor reasonable explanations of why the low appraisal.
IBM Japan had a wonderful climate until early 1990s, achieving the protection of both employees and their families. “Neoliberalism” is now already collapsed, and what the most important thing for now for corporate managers is to reestablish the principal to be the company that protect employees’ life with the longer-term perspective, by taking good care of an each employee to motivate them. That is the ‘Social Responsibility’ that the big companies should
take.
In Japan, many companies do not buy products of the companies those do not treat their employees with respect. Reputation of IBM in our society directly impacts sales in Japan. To fulfill the social responsibilities is the very key to improve business performance in Japan. We hope you would understand and accept our warnings and suggestions because we all would like to see IBM’s success with you.
(*1) As dismissal is very serious for employees, the court ruled that a valid reason must be given for dismissal when the company wishes to discharge employees against their will, and dismissals which lead to an abuse of authority are not allowed.
Even when a dismissal is due to a reduction in personnel because of a business decline, it needs to satisfy the following requirements.
(1) the reduction in personnel is necessary for the company’s existence and maintenance,
(2) the company has made efforts to avoid dismissals by not hiring new employees or by encouraging early
retirement,
(3) the basis of the reduction in personnel is rational and also equitable, and persons must be selected logically.
(4) the company has also made efforts to explain to the employees’ satisfaction the rationale of staff reductions and
the necessity of dismissal.
(*2) Civil Code : Chapter 5 Torts
Article 709 (Damages in Torts)
A person who has intentionally or negligently infringed any right of others, or legally protected interest of others, shall be liable to compensate any damanges resulting in consequence.
Article 710 (Compensation for Damages Other than Property)
Persons liable for damages under the provisions of the preceding Article must also compensate for damages other than those to property, regardless of whether the body, liberty or reputation of others have been infringed, or property rights of others have been infringed.
（以下抄訳）
Assigneeの皆様：Japanでのmissionを果たし、目標を達成するために、日々精勤されていることと存じます。日本の労働組合から、そんな皆さんに幾つか判っておいていただきたいことを申し上げます。
まず、ここは「日本」です。日本の法律や社会はあなたがたの多くの母国とは違い、またUSとは大きく異なり法律上「解雇」は一定の要件を満たさないとできないことになっています。退職勧奨についても、何度となく繰り返すものは退職強要と見なされ、対象者に精神的苦痛を与えるばかりでなく、不法行為にも認定されます。
また、もともと企業が終身雇用を旨としていたことから、転職市場も発達しておらず、いわゆる社会基盤としての「セーフティ・ネット」も非常に脆弱です。したがって、「解雇」された労働者は、再就職斡旋会社に行ったとしても、転職先が見つかるまで長期間待たされたり、場合によっては転職先が見つからないケースもあります。これはその労働者を社会的に「死」に追い込む行為にほかなりません。
そこまで行かなくとも、PBCで強制的に低評価とされ、日本では生活維持に必要な賃金の一部である「賞与」が大幅に減額された人たちの家庭は、「生活破壊」へと追い込まれています。
IBMは少なくとも1990年代初頭までは、「従業員だけでなく家族も含めて守る」ことを実践している会社でした。資本万能の考え方に基づく「新自由主義」の価値観が崩壊した今、IBM全体として改めて初心に返り、従業員の生活を守る企業としての理念を再構築すること、そして中長期的な視野に立って今後の会社経営を考えることがもっとも必要と
されているものと考えます。
そのためには何より社員ひとりひとりを大切に扱い、社員のモチベーションを上げることこそが必要です。それが大企業が果たすべき「社会的責任」です。
日本では「社員を大切にしない企業とは取引しない」会社も多いのです。したがって、企業は「社会的責任」を果たしてこそ業績を向上させることができるのです。
以上、皆さんの成功を心からお祈りするものとして、あえてご忠告申し上げる次第です。
(*1）解雇は労働者にとって重大なことなので、判例では、会社が労働者の意思に反してやめさせるためには、合理的な理由が必要であり、権利の濫用になるような解雇は許されないとの考えにたっています。
経営不振などを理由とする人員整理、解雇であっても、次の要件を満たすことが必要です。
(1) 会社の維持、存続を図るために、人員整理が必要であること。
(2) 新規採用の中止、希望退職の募集など、会社が解雇回避の努力をしたこと。
(3) 人員整理基準が合理的かつ公平で、人選も合理的であること。
(4) 労働者に解雇の必要性や整理基準などについて十分説明をし、納得を得る努力をしたこと。
(*2）民法 第5章不法行為
第709条（不法行為による損害賠償）
故意又は過失によって他人の権利又は法律上保護される利益を侵害した者は、これによって生じた損害を賠償する責任を負う。
第710条（財産以外の損害の賠償）
他人の身体、自由若しくは名誉を侵害した場合又は他人の財産権を侵害した場合のいずれであるかを問わず、前条の規定により損害賠償の責任を負う者は、財産以外の損害に対しても、その賠償をしなければならない。