OSAKA -- The Osaka District Court has dismissed a suit filed by three female employees of Sumitomo Chemical Co. seeking a total of 160 million yen in compensation from the company for wage differences between them and their male colleagues covering nearly four decades.
The plaintiffs, Yoko Arimori, 57, who worked at the company's factory in Ehime Prefecture, Kinuko Ishida, 56, and an unnamed employee, both from the company's Osaka headquarters, had argued that they suffered discriminatory treatment in terms of wages and promotions because they are women.
The three noted that their male colleagues who joined the major chemical manufacturer in the same year and with similar academic qualifications advanced faster and received higher salaries.