Northwest Airlines' Japanese workers take legal action

[cstaylor]

Northwest Airlines' Japanese workers take legal action over bonus

"The company's refusal to pay summer bonuses only to Japanese employees constitutes racial discrimination and is illegal," the workers said in the petition.

[Crispy]

I don't get it. Why weren't they being paid summer bonuses while everyone else was? That sure is a short article...

[cstaylor]

I can only guess by applying my own work experience: it's a part of the contract. WHen a multinational company sets up shop in a new country (like Japan), they usually produce a set of rules that match the country's course of business. Americans living in Japan working for a multinational will usually receive the perks if they were still in the U.S., while native employees will receive the benefits under separate rules... this has nothing to do with race, but everything to do with nationality (AFAIK from this pathetically short article)

[kamome]

It's true that Japanese and gaijin employees are treated differently at a multinational. However, I believe it's usually the gaijin who don't receive a summer bonus (instead, they receive a higher per-month salary and/or housing subsidies in lieu of a bonus). Unfortunately, the article doesn't explain the salary structures and compensation packages for Northwest employees.

[Crispy]

Must be a relic left over from the days when people in different countries didn't communicate with each other regularly (i.e. pre-internet), like movie release schedules and stuff.