Tozen Union and other unions in the Hiseiki Shunto Alliance demanded that Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) stop exploiting those working on fixed-term, temporary, day-labor, short-hour, outsourcing and other contracts lacking job or income security.
The contingent workers unions staged a protest in front of federation’s Tokyo headquarters in front of several major news outlets before then moving to a press conference on the ninth floor of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Labor.
Gaba is forcing teachers to register as “qualified invoice issuers” in order to shift a new tax burden onto those who provide Gaba’s main service.
Podcaster Ryan Michaels grills Tozen Gaba Workers Union leader Musashi Sakazaki and union rep Louis Carlet on the details.From the notes on the show:
Ryan welcomes a panel from Japan’s Tozen union to discuss working conditions at a prominent English school (eikaiwa) in Japan. A slew of bad policy decisions from Gaba Corporation including forcing instructors (treated as independent contractors by the corporation) into a qualified invoice system, has led to union action and recent strikes. Another new horrific policy announcement would see teachers fined per lesson if they become unable to teach, which could even result in a negative paycheck. In addition to demanding an end to the qualified invoice system requirements, Gaba Instructors, who have not received a raise since 2008, are fighting for a modest raise of 200 yen per lesson ($1.33 U.S. as of the currency exchange rate on 11/06/23). Ryan and the panel discuss the importance of unions, past victories Tozen has achieved for workers, and how Gaba instructors as well as counselors can join the union and strengthen bargaining power in the fight for fair working conditions. Tozen union panel guests include the Tozen Union Gaba Workers Union Executive President Musashi Sakazaki, Tozen Union Gaba Workers Union General Secretary Mitch Brown, Tozen Union Gaba Workers Union Member Paul Bowen, and Tozen Union Deputy Finance Officer and Organizer Louis Carlet.
Gaba recently announced new penalties on teachers who cancel lessons (tell Gaba they cannot work), even if the teacher is seriously ill or injured.
Fines increase with shorter notice and can be up to 6,500 yen PER LESSON, on top of not gettting paid for the work.
For inquiries please contact Tozen Union representative Louis Carlet at tozen.carlet@gmail.com
In April of 2020, the Japanese government amended local civil service law, reclassifying direct hire ALTs at public schools as “fiscal year appointees.” This so-called reform stripped these ALTs, and all others who labour under the new classification, of their trade union rights. Fiscal year appointees in the new system can no longer demand collective bargaining, conclude agreements with management, or enter into labour disputes. As a result, our ALTs who work for the Tokyo Board of Education were stripped of their right to collective bargaining.