Arab News Japan

TOKYO:  About 50 employees of United Airlines Japan protested on Wednesday in front of the Japanese transport ministry to ask for the reinstatement of employees terminated in 2016.

A trade union dispute has positioned Japanese employees against United Airlines and the American branch of the US-based Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) since 2016. According to a former United Airlines employee, the airline made an agreement with the AFA to retain only American employees and terminate the contracts of all other employees who were not affiliated with that union.

Japanese flight attendants believe this violates the Japanese labor code and a group of employees have been in a lengthy legal dispute with the American company. So far, they have not been given any reasons for their dismissal.

Despite an attempt by United Airlines to engineer an amicable financial negotiation and stop the legal proceedings, the group of former employees of the American company has decided to continue the fight because they believe that the stakes are too high  and could prompt other airline companies to violate Japan’s labor laws.

According to one of those demonstrating, the American Airline recently hired more than 6,000 flight attendants in the United States.