Uncooperative And Uncompromising: Kobe Shoin Wins Trip To Osaka

In the middle of a pandemic and state of emergency, Kobe Shoin Women’s University did what no other university, board of education, or private company have done: they refused to hold negotiations online.

Not only did we ask for collective bargaining in the middle of a pandemic, the demands themselves were over keeping union members online after the state of emergency ended on 11 May.

Their answer? “Sure we’ll meet you. Come to our university in Hyogo Prefecture after 19:00 and we’ll be happy to chat.”

Why would any employer refuse to meet the union online when most employers DON’T want us in their workplaces to begin with?

Our experience on this subject is clear: employers that refuse unions’ requests over time, place, and content of negotiations, have no intention of negotiating in good faith, so trudging all the way out past Rokko station wouldn’t be productive for our members.

Therefore, we politely asked Shoin a second time to do what countless other employers have done during the pandemic: to hold collective bargaining online.

They refused, so now they get to take a trip to Osaka courtesy of the Osaka Labour Commission.

We are amazed at this behavior; and while a labour commission case will not bring a quick resolution, Kobe Shoin can travel to meet us along with any future employer that refuses online negotiations.

This will be an important test case about a union’s right to negotiate online – not only now in the midst of a pandemic, but in the future.