Seven & i department store unit union threatens to strike on Thursday -Nikkei

TOKYO (Reuters) -A labour union of Seven & i Holdings department store unit Sogo & Seibu threatened on Monday to go on strike at a flagship store depending on the outcome of talks with management over the subsidiary’s sale, the business daily reported.

Labour strikes are extremely rare in Japan, and if it goes ahead, it would be the first at a major department store in about 60 years, local media reported.

A Seven & i Holdings spokesperson said the company was reviewing the labour union’s requests.

Japan-based Seven & i, operator of the world’s largest convenience store chain, agreed last year to sell Sogo & Seibu to U.S. fund Fortress Investment Group. But the deal has been delayed amid opposition from workers, and company management cancelled a meeting for Friday last week where it was to decide on the sale, Kyodo had reported.

Negotiations will continue but the union has told management that if talks break down, they would go on strike starting Thursday, the Nikkei said.

Seven & i’s board was said to be planning a board meeting that day in hopes of completing the sale of the unit on Sept. 1, the Nikkei said.

The union is considering a strike at Seibu’s flagship store in Ikebukuro, it said.