Kyodo News Service: The Tokyo Local Labor Relations Commission on Wednesday ordered Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. and one of its affiliates to pay wages due to 64 employees and give promotions to 59 of them, ruling that they were discriminated against because of their labor union (ShellNews.net)

Posted Sep 30, 2004

The order, which came after a 14-year dispute, said Showa Shell Sekiyu and Shell Chemicals Japan provided the labor union members with far lower wages, bonuses and ability grades than for other employees.

It ordered the two firms to raise ability grades for the 59 employees retroactive to a period between 1988 and 1993 and pay the 59 and five other employees the differences between their wages and bonus income and the due levels.

The labor union said the differences for the period between 1985 and 2000 would total 940 million yen.

Union Chairman Kenji Kawashima welcomed the order as specifying a grade and a promotion year for each of the employees.

A Showa Shell spokesman said the firm will look into details of the order and consider how to respond to it.