Train Driver Sues Employer for $19,000 After Having 49 Cents Docked From His Wages

A train driver in Japan is suing his employer for almost $20,000 after he was docked less than 50 cents in wages for causing a tiny delay to the country's notoriously punctual rail system.

Rail company JR West cut the man's wages by 56 yen ($0.49) after a mix-up that occurred on June 18, 2020, caused a one-minute delay to operations, Soranews24 reported.

The employee, who was not named by the outlet, had been scheduled to drive an empty train to Okayama station in the southern part of the country that morning, according to the Japanese news site. However, he arrived at the wrong platform and waited to take over from the previous driver.

By the time the man realized he was at the wrong platform and raced to the correct one, the transfer between the drivers had been delayed by two minutes.

That led to a minute's delay in the train's departure and another one-minute delay in warehousing it at the depot.

JR West initially took 85 yen ($0.75) from the man's paycheck the following month, arguing that no labor was carried out during the two minutes that the transfer was delayed.

The company later agreed to reduce the fine to 56 yen ($0.49) after the employee brought the case to the Okayama Labor Standards Inspection Office.

But the driver refused to accept the cut, arguing that the brief delay had caused no disruption to train timetables or affected passengers as the train was empty.

JR West said it applied the "no work, no pay principle" just as it would for cases where an employee was late or had an unexplained absence.

The employee criticized the company for "using wage cuts as 'sanctions' for human error" and that small mistakes should not be considered a breach of contract.

He took the matter to court in March, and is seeking 2.2 million yen ($19,350) in damages for mental anguish caused by the ordeal as well as 43 yen ($0.38) in compensation and 13 yen ($0.11) in overtime caused by the delay.

Japan is known for its efficient public transport systems and rail operators apologize for delays, even if by a minute.

In 2017, a rail operator issued an apology to commuters after a trains departed just 20 seconds ahead of schedule.

At the time, the Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company apologized for the early departure in a statement on its website, explaining that the incident occurred because the train crew did not properly check departure time. "We sincerely apologize for the severe inconvenience caused to our customers," the company said.