“Life is tough, but I can’t run away” – Truck driver fights “discrimination against dispatchers” – After asking his company for better working conditions… his work and salary were reduced, and his shift ends at 1 p.m.

In Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, truck drivers have been fighting what they call “dispatch discrimination,” a practice in which a company deliberately limits routes or shifts to reduce pay. The dispute began when drivers asked their employer, Tōrin Chemical, for better working conditions.

Hirotada Matsuo, 50, who has worked for the company for about 20 years, says his monthly take-home pay dropped from roughly 33,000 yen to 20,000–22,000 yen after the company assigned him shorter routes. Matsuo and colleagues also noticed unpaid overtime, prompting them to form a union chapter in December 2021 and eventually sue the company for over 90 million yen in back wages.

In March, the Fukuoka District Court ruled that the company’s actions constituted unfair labor practices, ordering it to pay the three drivers more than 27 million yen in combined damages, including losses from reduced pay. The court noted that the discriminatory dispatching sought to weaken the union by putting economic pressure on its members.

Tōrin Chemical has appealed, and the parent company declined to comment. Matsuo and fellow driver Akihiro Kajiwara said they hope the ruling will lead to better conditions for all truck drivers in Japan, where chronic labor shortages persist. According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the job market for drivers is nearly three times tighter than the average for all occupations.