HOKKAIDO (TR) – The Sapporo City government has terminated public works contracts with a contractor after a video posted on social media revealed incidents of violence within the company, reports HBC News (May 15).
In the footage, the president of Hanai-gumi, a construction company based in Nishi Ward, is shown regularly assaulting employees. In one case, he slaps a seated male employee and then jumps atop him.
In response to this, Hanai-gumi requested on May 13 the termination of six public works contracts it had received from Sapporo City. The city terminated all of them the following day.
According to the city, the public works projects included the installation of new sewage pipes and earthquake-proofing work for drainage pipes. Hanai-gumi suspended work on the jobs on May 8.
The city is considering a future response, including the possibility of rebidding the contracts.
