Local News

The number of individual labor disputes, such as objections to dismissals or unpaid salaries submitted to prefectural boards for resolution, rose to 1,953 in the seven Kyushu prefectures in 2009, a 5.2% rise from the previous year. The factors cited for the increase include the prolonged economic downturn, the increase in non-full-time employment, and the decline in labor union strength. This was the highest total in Kyushu in the past four years. There was also a 5.3% year-on-year rise for the national total, setting a record high.