Mental Stress Court Case
JR West workers sue over mental stress caused by 're-education
"OSAKA -- Four West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) workers who were forced to undergo long periods of "re-education" at the company after making small mistakes launched a lawsuit Thursday against the firm and their bosses for the mental stress they suffered.
The four filed the lawsuit in the Osaka District Court along with members of JR West's labor union, seeking a total of 9.9 million yen in compensation.
After the deadly JR West railway disaster that occurred in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, in April, the company received criticism for its re-education program, which was described as "vindictive and unreasonable," and the firm was prompted to introduce reforms. The lawsuit is the first questioning the legality of the education.
The lawsuit said one driver was forced to undergo 71 days of re-education after overrunning a siding track connected to main track on a railway line by 2 meters in June 2003. He was accused of being late in reporting the incident to the firm. At the time officials allegedly heaped abuse on him, saying, "Perhaps you were asleep," and, "How about taking a trip to the hospital?"
In April 2004, an official in charge of handling train carriages saw what appeared to be a stone on the tracks while he was moving a train and applied the emergency brakes, but the object turned out to be a sparrow. When radioing a report, he said, "A sparrow obstructed the way." Afterwards, JR West forced him to undergo one month of re-education without giving him a chance to explain himself, on the grounds that the words he used were not official radio terms, the lawsuit said.
In an account of the incident, the worker was reportedly made to write, "Reporting a simple sparrow as an 'obstruction' was inappropriate." He was also allegedly made to pull out weeds as part of the re-education.
"(Workers) were forced to undergo the re-education as if they were being accused without cause, and were simply subjected to abuse and harassment, which was illegal," a representative for the plaintiffs said.
JR officials said they had not examined the suit and could not comment on it..."
Mainichi Newspaper, November 10, 2005
"OSAKA -- Four West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) workers who were forced to undergo long periods of "re-education" at the company after making small mistakes launched a lawsuit Thursday against the firm and their bosses for the mental stress they suffered.
The four filed the lawsuit in the Osaka District Court along with members of JR West's labor union, seeking a total of 9.9 million yen in compensation.
After the deadly JR West railway disaster that occurred in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, in April, the company received criticism for its re-education program, which was described as "vindictive and unreasonable," and the firm was prompted to introduce reforms. The lawsuit is the first questioning the legality of the education.
The lawsuit said one driver was forced to undergo 71 days of re-education after overrunning a siding track connected to main track on a railway line by 2 meters in June 2003. He was accused of being late in reporting the incident to the firm. At the time officials allegedly heaped abuse on him, saying, "Perhaps you were asleep," and, "How about taking a trip to the hospital?"
In April 2004, an official in charge of handling train carriages saw what appeared to be a stone on the tracks while he was moving a train and applied the emergency brakes, but the object turned out to be a sparrow. When radioing a report, he said, "A sparrow obstructed the way." Afterwards, JR West forced him to undergo one month of re-education without giving him a chance to explain himself, on the grounds that the words he used were not official radio terms, the lawsuit said.
In an account of the incident, the worker was reportedly made to write, "Reporting a simple sparrow as an 'obstruction' was inappropriate." He was also allegedly made to pull out weeds as part of the re-education.
"(Workers) were forced to undergo the re-education as if they were being accused without cause, and were simply subjected to abuse and harassment, which was illegal," a representative for the plaintiffs said.
JR officials said they had not examined the suit and could not comment on it..."
Mainichi Newspaper, November 10, 2005
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