The people who call Mr Shitara's bullying hotline occasionally complain of physical abuse.

ECONOMIST: Gang sackings

Independent unions for disgruntled sararimen in and out of work are, following Mr Shitara, now springing up all over Japan.

ECONOMIST: The worm turns | The

Mr Shitara is well aware of the sararimen's woes.

ECONOMIST: The worm turns

With few people accepting voluntary redundancy, more and more middle managers are being hounded into quitting most often, says Kiyotsugu Shitara, general secretary of the Tokyo Managers' Union, under the careful direction of a company's personnel department.

ECONOMIST: Gang sackings