Workers at a major Tokyo department store went on strike on Thursday after talks with management over the planned sale of their company broke down, marking the first major walk-out the country has seen in decades.
Some 900 workers at the flagship Seibu store in the bustling district of Ikebukuro are protesting the sale of Sogo & Seibu, a unit of Japanese retail giant Seven & i (3382.T), to U.S. fund Fortress Investment Group.
They are seeking job and business continuity guarantees, unhappy with reported plans for discount electronics retailer Yodobashi Holdings to take over roughly half of the store.
The irony is that they are demanding guarantees that things won’t change. They are striking to preserve the status quo.
Breaking the status quo to maintain the status quo
Destroying the status quo because the status is not quo. The world is a mess, and I just want to rule it.