A Sogo & Seibu labor union notified management on Monday that its members working at one of the company's department stores will go on strike on Thursday, as differences related to the planned sale of the shopping chains remain.
If the strike goes ahead, it would be the first in the country’s department store industry for around 60 years, according to UA Zensen, a trade union representing employees across a range of industries.
Parent firm Seven & I Holdings, the operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores, is looking to sell the Sogo & Seibu unit to U.S.-based investment fund Fortress Investment Group, and the labor union has been asking Seven & I to guarantee that jobs will be maintained and the department store business will continue even after the sale.