New Delhi

A train driver in Japan has sued his employer after 56 yen ($0.49) was docked from his wages for causing a brief delay to the country’s famously punctual rail system.

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The unidentified man has sued Rail company JR West for 2.2 million yen ($19,407) after he caused a one-minute delay to operations on June 18, 2020, according to local media reports.

The company reasoned that they cut his wages as no labour had been performed during the stoppage.

According to the Japanese news site, Soranews24, the unnamed man was to drive an empty train to Okayama station in the southern part of the country that morning, but arrived at the wrong platform while waiting to take over from the previous driver.

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By the time he realised his mistake and raced to the correct platform, the transfer between the two drivers had been delayed by two minutes. Due to his, there was a one-minute delay in the train’s departure and a one-minute delay in warehousing the train at the depot.

In the following month, JR West initially cut 85 yen ($0.75) from the man’s salary, claiming that no labour was carried out during the two-minute delay.

Later, the company agreed to reduce the fine to 56 yen ($0.49) after the employee brought the case to the Okayama Labour Standards Inspection Office.

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However, the employee refused to accept the cut and argued that the delay caused no actual disruption to the timetables or passengers as the train was empty during the incident.

But the company says it acted as per the “no work, no pay principle”, and cut the salary for employee's late arrival or an unexplained absence.

The employee slammed the company for “using wage cuts as sanctions for human error” and said that small mistakes should not be considered a breach of contract.

He took the matter to court in March, and is seeking compensation 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.

(With inputs from agencies)