They lost.

However, unable to accept their loss, they went on to appeal to the Osaka Superior Court.

The facts of the case were clear and simple to begin with, so the court did not take long to reach a decision.

The Superior Court agreed with the initial ruling, handing down a verdict that confirmed the validity of the Labor Commission’s relief order.

Most of us thought that the case was now closed.

However, we were wrong.

Osaka Gaigo Semmon Gakko took objection to the Superior Court decision, and decided to appeal it to the Supreme Court.

Outline Of Events

1) Osaka Gaigo Semmon Gakko has continued to refuse the Union’s wage and bonus demands, claiming as a reason that they “have no money”.

2) Therefore, to confirm that they “have no money”, the Union demanded to be shown the school’s financial statements.

3) Osaka Gaigo Semmon Gakko responded by refusing to do this, and did not engage in good-faith negotiation.

4) Demanding the school negotiate in good faith and show their financial statements, the Union filed a petition for relief of unfair labor practices at the Osaka Prefectural Labor Commission, with Osaka Gaigo Semmon Gakko as respondent.

5) The Labor Commission accepted our petition and gave a relief order, commanding Osaka Gaigo Semmon Gakko to “give an apology to the Union and allow them to examine your financial statements”.

6) Osaka Gaigo Semmon Gakko took objection to this relief order, and sued the Labor Commission at the Osaka District Court seeking to have the order cancelled.

7) Osaka District Court rejected the school’s claim, and upheld the Prefectural Labor Commission’s order for relief of unfair labor practices.

8) Osaka Gaigo Semmon Gakko took objection to this ruling, and appealed to the Osaka Superior Court, seeking to have it overturned.

9) Osaka Superior Court rejected the school’s claim, and upheld the Prefectural Labor Commission’s order for relief of unfair labor practices.

Osaka Gaigo Semmon Gakko took objection to this ruling as well, and they are currently appealing to the Supreme Court.

What Are They Trying To Hide?

Osaka Gaigo Semmon Gakko has now been ordered three times – once by the Labor Commission and twice by the courts – to show the Union their financial statements.

However, they still continue to stubbornly refuse, and have gone so far as to appeal yet again.

They are spending a huge amount of money to be able to keep on saying “we have no money”.

There is one thing anyone would want to ask on seeing such a bizarre sight: “why are they so desperate not to have to show the Union their financial statements?”

Time keeps moving forward, and the time will soon come when Osaka Gaigo Semmon Gakko will have no choice but to show the Union the documents.

That may well be the time when the school’s long years of lying are exposed, and they will have to pay the price for those lies – a price they have themselves inflated by their own actions – to the Union and to the workers.

At the same time, that might be a new launching point for the beginning of an honest and proper relationship between workers and employer – one with no more lies.