News

Over 10,000 construction workers and family thought to be without health insurance

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Over 10,000 people who joined a public health insurance program for self-employed construction workers even though they were not qualified to are thought to be without health insurance now, it has been learned.

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry found in its investigation in June 2010 that 12,252 policyholders of Zenkoku Kensetsu Kojigyo Kokumin Kenko Hoken Kumiai (Kojigyo Kokuho), a health insurance association for self-employed construction workers, were not actually qualified to join the program.

In many cases, employees of construction firms joined it by posing as self-employed construction workers or construction company owners had joined it by falsely describing themselves as self-employed individuals.

In September last year, the ministry instructed Kojigyo Kokuho to transfer 9,272 of the unqualified policyholders to the Japan Health Insurance Association for employees of small and medium-sized companies or other health insurance programs.

Of the policyholders, 3,970 completed the procedures for shifting to the Japan Health Insurance Association program. Another 1,800 individuals have shifted or are set to shift to public health insurance programs for self-employed people including farmers, forestry workers and fishermen.

However, about 6,500 others failed to shift to the Japan Health Insurance Association program by the June 2011 deadline. Since their old health insurance card expired in June this year, they and their family members, totaling more than 10,000 people, are highly likely to be covered by no health insurance program now.

Companies as well as individuals who employ at least five people are legally required to join public social insurance programs and split premiums for health insurance and employees’ pension programs evenly with their employees.

However, many construction firms joined Kojigyo Kokuho after being falsely told by association officials that companies were also qualified to join it. Moreover, other companies had their employees join the association by posing as self-employed construction workers, thereby evading paying premiums for their employees’ pension program.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20111104p2a00m0na007000c.html

Schizophrenic Constitution leaves foreigners’ rights mired in confusion

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So what rights do foreign residents have under the Constitution? Well, according to the Supreme Court, they are entitled to all the same rights as Japanese people, except for those which by their nature are only to be enjoyed by Japanese people. Does that help?

This Delphic guidance comes from a very important 1978 Supreme Court ruling in what is known as the McLean Case. Ronald McLean came to Japan as an English teacher in 1969 but quickly got involved in the local anti-Vietnam War protest movement. When he sought to renew his visa, the Ministry of Justice refused. He challenged the denial in court, asserting that he was being punished for engaging in lawful political activity, exercising his rights to free speech, assembly and so forth.

He lost (of course), and although the case is supposedly significant because in it the nation’s highest court enunciates the general principle that foreigners enjoy some of the rights enumerated in the Constitution, it does so with a caveat: that even those rights are limited by the scope of the regime of immigration laws which allow them to enter, reside and work in Japan.

Take the case of Kathleen Morikawa, an American resident in Japan who was fined for refusing to be fingerprinted as part of the alien registration process of days gone by. When she applied for a re-entry permit for a short trip to South Korea, her application was denied and she sought recourse in the courts. In 1992 the Supreme Court declared that foreigners had no constitutional right to enter or re-enter Japan, and that the Justice Ministry’s refusal to issue a re-entry permit was an acceptable exercise of administrative discretion in light of her refusal to be fingerprinted.

“Ignore the law and pay the price” is a fair comment here, but what I find noteworthy about the Morikawa case is that it did not seem to matter that she had a Japanese spouse and Japanese children. That the Justice Ministry can punitively strip Japanese nationals of their ability to travel or even live with a family member would seem to be at least as important constitutionally as whatever rights foreigners may or may not have.

The fact that many of us may be willing to live in Japan essentially at the sufferance of the government does not mean that our Japanese spouses, children and other kin should not have their own independent constitutionally protected rights to a family life free from arbitrary bureaucratic caprice. Article 13 of the Constitution refers to a right to the “pursuit of happiness,” but meaningful court precedents tying this provision to a right to family life are thin on the ground.

Recent revelations by a former prosecutor about being taught by his superiors that “foreigners have no human rights” raise further doubts about whether Japan is really up to the legal issues implicit in globalization.

Finally, since Japanese courts often justify their decisions using references to shakai tsūnen (commonly accepted social norms), even constitutional decisions can tend to reflect a distinctly majoritarian bent. In some countries a judiciary committed to defending minorities and unpopular viewpoints combined with clearly defined constitutional protections is expected to function as a bastion of human rights. Whether this can be expected of Japanese courts is debatable.

The fact that many of us expats are still here nonetheless may thus be because of the inherent kindness of the Japanese people rather than any high expectations of their government. At the end of the day, perhaps that is what popular sovereignty is all about.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20111101a1.html

Japan’s population marks slowest growth in 2010

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Japan’s population stood at 128,057,352 as of Oct. 1, 2010, up 0.2 percent from five years earlier, marking the slowest growth since the once-in-five-years census began in 1920, the final results of the survey showed Wednesday.

When non-Japanese residents are excluded, the population dropped by about 371,000, or 0.3 percent, decreasing for the first time since 1975, when it began compiling the population of Japanese citizens separately from non-Japanese, the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry said.

“While Japan has entered an era of population decline, its total population has been flat because of an increase in foreign nationals,” a ministry official said.

The number of non-Japanese residents rose 5.9 percent, or about 93,000.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20111027p2g00m0dm003000c.html

Vietnamese to be trained as nurses

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The government plans to allow Vietnamese nationals to work as nurses and caregivers in Japan under a bilateral economic partnership agreement, officials said Wednesday.

The government has already allowed Indonesian and Filipino nationals to work as nurses and caregivers under bilateral free-trade agreements with Jakarta and Manila.

While more than 1,300 candidate nurses and caregivers have traveled to Japan from the two countries, only 19 have passed Japan’s qualification examination for nurses, due largely to language difficulties.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20111020a8.html

Global Day of Rage: Hundreds of Thousands March Against Inequity, Big Banks, as Occupy Movement Grows

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(Interview begins starting from 29:50)

AMY GOODMAN: Hundreds of protesters also joined rallies in Tokyo over the weekend, expressing frustration at youth unemployment and the dangers of nuclear power in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi accident.

To talk more about the protest, we’re going to Tokyo to talk to Gerome Rothman, field director of the Tokyo General Union, the largest foreign-led labor union in Japan. He’s lived in Japan for five-and-a-half years and participated in the Occupy Tokyo movement over the weekend.

Gerome, welcome to Democracy Now! We’re seeing if we can get him in Tokyo. If not, we will move on to hear voices of people throughout, as we continue this round robin of voices of protests around the country and around the world. Let’s see if we can get Gerome on right now. We’re trying to get him on Democracy Now! video stream in Tokyo.

Gerome, are you with us?

GEROME ROTHMAN: Yes, I’m here. Can you see me OK?

AMY GOODMAN: How significant is Occupy Wall Street for the protests that are happening now in Japan? I mean, there have been protests in Japan because of this horrific nuclear power—these meltdowns that have resulted from all that took place before.

GEROME ROTHMAN: Yes, Amy. I think that it was really inspiring to read the news and watch programs like this, learning about the Occupy Wall Street movement. As a result, in this protest, it wasn’t only Japanese workers there, but foreign workers. And for the first time, I think about 30 percent of us were immigrants. So I think the Occupy Wall Street movement really made us feel like it’s our opportunity, our time to invest ourselves in the Japanese community, to build a multicultural and socially just Japan. One of the people I talked to, I asked him why he was there, and his response was, “Because I can’t be on Wall Street.” And I feel the same exact way. I can’t be on Wall Street, but I live in Japan, and there’s a way for me to show my support and really join to support the 99 percenters in—on Wall Street.

AMY GOODMAN: Linking up of the anti-nuclear movement in Japan and the rest of the world, the significance of this? I know people are coming from Japan to the United States to link up with activists here.

GEROME ROTHMAN: Well, the common thread is corporate greed. Corporate greed is what fuels industries like the nuclear power industry. I mean, TEPCO is a private company. It’s still a private company. I checked this morning, just to be sure for you. And this is—even people in our union—we have people in our union who support nuclear power, but even people in our union who do still agree that corporations must be accountable, must be accountable for making our energy safe, making our environment clean. And so, it’s about making sure that we don’t fuel our energy policy with corporate greed. We need to fuel our energy policy and our labor policy with a desire to improve human flourishing in countries like Japan and the United States.

As far as the linking up is concerned, I think that it needs to be a global, democratic movement, if we’re going to confront the evils of the nuclear power industry, if we’re going to confront the evils of unfair working conditions and unfair free—so-called free trade, free trade agreements, that just challenge our ability to have fair labor standards and fair environmental standards.

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/10/17/global_day_of_rage_hundreds_of

Hundreds turn out to ‘Occupy Tokyo’

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As in New York, protesters use chance to attack wide list of issues from nuclear energy to trade

The Occupy Wall Street protests spreading across the United States landed in Tokyo on Saturday, as hundreds of people [including members of Zenkoku Ippan Tokyo General Union] gathered to protest against corporate greed and social inequality.

In addition to decrying the widening wealth gap between the nation’s haves and have-nots, demonstrators spoke out on a variety of unrelated topics ranging from nuclear power to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, a free-trade pact promoted by the U.S.

Marching behind a large “Occupy Tokyo” banner, about 300 protesters proceeded to the headquarters of Tokyo Electric Power Co., owner of the radiation-leaking Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant. “Dissolve Tepco,” “Stop nuclear power plants,” they chanted.

The various signs, written in both Japanese and English, highlighted some of the issues apparently agitating the public.

Passers-by had mixed feelings about the protests.

“Although it would be good if (nuclear power plants) did not exist, it is impossible to make them disappear immediately,” said a 23-year-old employee from Kawasaki who was shopping in the area.

The man, who would only give his last name, Azuma, said one of the key issues that needs to be resolved is the cost of fully making the conversion from nuclear power to wind, thermal and other renewable forms of energy.

Another man from Saitama, who came to see what the protest was like, said, “We should consider” whether to hold onto nuclear power plants.

“Japan is peaceful since people can speak with various opinions,” said the man, 52, who declined to be named.

A separate Occupy Tokyo event was also held in the Roppongi district.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20111016a1.html

Borderlink ALTs Unionized

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On Friday, September 30th 20011, Zenkoku Ippan Tokyo General Union and its Tozen ALTs Branch declared the existence of its Borderlink Shop to management and submitted a slate of 34 collective bargaining demands.

組合加入通知並びに団体交渉申し入れ書

Declaration of New Members, Request for Collective Bargaining

拝啓　貴社におかれましては、益々ご繁栄のこととお喜び申し上げます。

We hope your business is doing well.

さて、このたび私たちは、貴社従業員の全国一般東京ゼネラルユニオン（以下、「組合」という）ならびに全国一般東京ゼネラルユニオン東ゼンＡＬＴ支部（以下、「支部」という）への加入を通知いたします。貴社は本日より、組合員の雇用・労働条件ならびに、その他労働条件に関連する事項について、当組合ならびに支部と協議決定する義務のあることを申し添えます。

We hereby inform you that some of your employees have joined Zenkoku Ippan Tokyo General Union (hereafter, “union,”) and Zenkoku Ippan Tokyo General Union Tozen ALTs (hereafter, “local”). From this day forth, your company is obligated to negotiate with the union and local regarding union members’ employment, working conditions and all items related to working conditions.

当組合ならびに支部は、良好な労使関係を確立するために、誠意をもって交渉に臨む所存です。貴社におかれましては、速やかに当組合ならびに支部との団体交渉に応じるよう要請いたします。なお、団体交渉を拒否することは、労働組合法第７条に違反する不当労働行為に該当することを念のために申し添えます。

Our union and local will negotiate in good faith in order to establish a positive labor-management relationship. Therefore, we ask that you promptly agree to collective bargaining with the union and local without committing any unfair labor practices. We also add that refusing collective bargaining is an unfair labor practice in violation of Article 7 of Trade Union Law.

以下の要求事項を議題とし、以下の日時・場所で、団体交渉を申し入れます。

We ask for collective bargaining regarding the demands listed below at the below date, time and venue.

なお、今回、要求事項が３４項目と多岐にわたりましたが、第1回団交でこのすべてについて話し合うことは到底できないことは承知しておりますので、どこから話し合うかという点についても、貴社と丁寧に協議を尽くしたいと考えています。組合員は、長期的に安定した雇用を確保し、引き続き会社と良好な関係を築いていくことを望んでおります。当方の趣旨をお汲みとりいただきますよう、何卒宜しくお願いいたします。

We understand that it is impossible to discuss all 34 demands at the first collective bargaining session. We would like to negotiate these demands with you carefully and thoroughly. Union members hope to build and maintain a positive relationship with management based on long-term job security.

…

２．団体交渉日時・場所・議題 CB Date, Time, Venue, Agenda

日時　２０１１年１０月２１日（金）　１９：００～２１：００
場所　当組合本部事務所内　Venue: Our union ＨＱ office
　　　　　〒１６２－０８０１東京都新宿区山吹町２９４　小久保ビル３Ｂ
議題　下記の要求事項 Agenda: Union demands listed below.

３．要求事項 Demands

安定した雇用について　　　On job security…

1. Management eliminate temporary employment status for all union members, recognizing open-ended employment with no deterioration in working conditions in order to give members job security.

会社は、安定した雇用を実現するため、全組合員に対し、労働条件を悪化することなく、有期雇用の雇用形態を廃止し、期間の定めのない雇用を認める。

事前協議について　　On prior consultation …

2. Management inform the local and union well in advance of any changes to working conditions, management, terms of employment or shugyo kisoku work rules. Management negotiate and obtain agreement with union and local before implementing any such changes.

会社は、組合員の従来の契約内容・労働条件を変更する場合、また就業規則を変更する場合、事前に時間的な余裕をもって組合ならびに支部に通知し、協議の上、同意を得て実施すること。

3. Management inform, negotiate with and obtain agreement from union and local before any transfers, disciplinary measures or dismissal (including all forms of employment severance against the wishes of the employee) of any union member.

会社は、組合員の人事異動、懲戒処分、解雇（本人の意思に反するあらゆる雇用終了を含む）を行う場合、事前に組合ならびに支部に通知し、協議の上、同意を得て実施すること。

4. Management inform and make a mutual arrangement with local members before visiting schools to observe classes etc. and that any such visit shall have a minimum of one month’s advance notice.

会社は、授業参観などの目的で組合員の学校へ訪問する場合、該当組合員に１カ月以上の予告をし、組合員の都合に合わせて訪問の日程を決めること。

5. Management inform the union member of their working schedule in writing at least 1 month in advance.

会社は、 各組合員に対し、１カ月以上前にスケジュールを通知すること。

6. Management obtain consent from any union member before scheduling work on weekends.

会社は、全組合員に対し、土日の勤務を組む場合、事前に該当する組合員の同意を得ること。

透明性について　　On transparency …

7. Management provide union and local with Japanese language and English language versions of their shugyo kisoku official work rules.

会社は、組合員に適用される就業規則の日本語版と英語版の両方を組合ならびに支部に交付すること。

8. Management immediately disclose and explain each year’s financial documents, including profit-loss statement and balance sheet.

会社は、毎年の損益計算書、貸借対照表などの財務諸表について、速やかに組合ならびに支部
に公開し、説明すること。

9. Management immediately give to the union and local a copy of the contract between company and all school boards where members work.

会社は、会社と組合員が働いている全ての教育委員会との間に締結されている契約書の写しを組合ならびに支部に付与すること。

10. Management explain in writing to the union and local the terms of the contract (“haken” or “gyomu itaku”) for each member, and how the type of contract affects the member’s work.

会社は、会社と教育委員会との間で締結している契約（上記第７条を参照）が派遣なのか、業務委託なのかといった契約形態について、組合ならびに支部に文書で明らかにし、併せて組合員の労働環境に与える影響を説明した文書を組合ならびに支部に付与すること。

金銭要求　Financial Demands

11. Management end its policy of paying pro-rated salaries, with previously pro-rated salaries backdated fully to April 1, 2011.

会社は、賃金の比例配分をやめ、毎月全額を支給する。なお、２０１１年４月１日から現在までの比例配分された賃金と全額の賃金の差額を支給すること。

12. Management pay full actual transportation costs to all members.

会社は、全組合員に対し、交通費の実費を支給すること。

13. Management increase the salary of union members working at elementary schools to Y260,000 per month and of union members working at jr. high schools to Y290,000 per month.

会社は、小学校に勤務している全組合員の賃金を月２６０，０００円に、中学校に勤務している全組合員の賃金を月２９０，０００円に引き上げること。

14. Management put all “performance bonuses” into members’ salaries.

会社は、全組合員に対し、「皆勤手当」（”performance bonus”）を止め、その分を通常の賃金に振り替えること。

15. Management count the training days forced upon members during July as additional working days to be paid at an additional Y15,000 per day and refund full actual transportation costs.

会社は、全組合員に対し、７月に働かされる研修の日を労働日とし、日給１５，０００円および交通費の実費を追加に支給すること。

16. Management pay a full salary for August 2011, in addition to any accrued “bonuses” taken from members’ regular salary.

会社は、全組合員に対し、２０１１年８月について、他の月の未払い分を振り替えられた賃金（”bonus”）の他に、１カ月分の全額の賃金を支給すること。

17. Management pay weekend work by members at a rate of Y20,000 per day, or part thereof.

会社は、土日の労働に対し、日給２０，０００円または、その比例配分の賃金を支給すること。

18. Management refrain from deducting any wages from any member who participates in collective bargaining during work hours.

会社は、所定時間内に開催する団体交渉出席者の賃金カットを行なわないこと。

19. Management refund all costs for medical checks required of union members.

会社は、組合員に健康診断を義務付ける場合、その費用の全額を負担すること。

特定の組合員についての要求事項　Demands related to Individual Members

…

他の要求事項　Other Demands

23. Management give 10 days paid annual leave to union members who have worked for six months (12 after 18 months, etc. according to Labor Standards Law) to be used at their own discretion, and not as management dictates.

会社は、全組合員に対し、労働基準法に則り、６カ月勤続後１０日間、１８カ月勤続後１２日間等の年次有給休暇について、本人が自由に取得できることを認めること。

24. Management use teacher evaluations only to help teachers further improve their performance and not let evaluations affect pay.

会社は、教員の評価を賃金などに一切反映させず、該当する教員の能力・技術等の改善という目的に限定すること。

25. Management change our payday from the last day of the month to the 15th of every month, to coincide with monthly payments such as rent and utilities.

会社は、給与支払日を家賃や光熱費などの支払いに合わせて、現在の翌月の月末日から翌月の１５日に変更すること。

26. Management assign trainers with ALT experience to run training sessions.

会社は、研修を行うトレーナーの任命については、ＡＬＴ経験を持つ人に限ること。

27. Management schedule ALT meetings only between 8:30am and 3:30pm and outside lunch breaks.

会社とＡＬＴとの面談の時間は昼の休憩時間を避け、午前８時３０分から午後３時３０分の間に限ること。

28. Management arrange for all union members to have lockers at their workplaces (schools).

会社は、全組合員に対し、職場である学校の中に個人用ロッカーを手配すること。

29. Management refrain from the practice of asking for original documentation, such as university degrees, etc.

会社は、大学の卒業証明書などの書類の原本を従業員に求める慣習を廃止すること。

労使の信頼関係維持について　　Maintaining Relationship of Trust between Management and Union

30. Management apologize to the union and local in an email to all Borderlink employees in Japanese and English for Mr. Satoshi Okubo’s defamatory speech against unions on the second day of training (July 26, 2011).

会社は、２０１１年７月２６日に行われた研修の第２日目にオオクボ・サトシ氏が労働組合に対し誹謗中傷的な発言をしたことについて、会社の全従業員へ、日本語と英語の両方の言葉での電子メールによって組合ならびに支部に対し謝罪をすること。

31. Management comply with all articles of all labor laws, particularly Trade Union Law, and refrain from discriminating against or harassing any union member.

会社は、労働組合法をはじめ全ての労働法規を遵守し、いかなる組合員に対する差別行為、いやがらせ行為などをしないこと。

32. Management permit a union representative be present at all members’ meetings with management.

会社は、経営側が組合員と面談をする場合、組合の代表する者の立ち会いを認めること。

33. Management permit the union and local to conduct a 30-minutes union orientation, including passing out information, at all training sessions. Management inform the union at least four weeks in advance of the date, time and venue for all such training sessions.

会社は、全ての研修会に、組合ならびに支部に、情報配布などを含めた３０分のオリエンテーション（説明会）を行うことを許可すること。なお、会社は、研修を行う４週間前に、日時・場所などを組合ならびに支部に通知すること。

34. Management sign a labor-management agreement with the union and local on the above demands.

会社は、上記の要求事項に基づいて、組合ならびに支部と労働協約を締結すること。

以上

Fear for jobs ignites “English crisis” in Japan

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It’s eight in the morning in a Tokyo office building, and a dozen middle-aged Japanese businessmen sit inside small booths, sweating as they try to talk English to the instructors in front of them.

“I hope my wife will understand my hobby,” one 40-something man says, opening his mouth widely around the English words.

He is one of legions of Japanese businessmen, or “salarymen,” struggling with a language they thought they had left behind them in school as fears mount that the growing push by Japanese companies into overseas business will mean a dark future for them without usable English.

This is especially true these days, with the strong yen and a lagging domestic market prompting more firms to look overseas for business opportunities essential for their bottom lines.

“I had a business trip to Amsterdam last year and that really was tough. My boss spoke no English, and I had to speak English for the first time in 10 years,” said Masahide Tachibana, a 39-year-old software developer.

Tachibana now gets up at 5:00 a.m. to take morning lessons at a central Tokyo branch of Gaba, an English language school.

“I’ve always wanted to brush up my English and that business trip ignited my aspirations,” said Tachibana, as around him other businessmen and women pack up and hurry to work after their 45-minute, one-on-one lessons.

Japan, despite being the world’s third-largest economy and a major export powerhouse, is known for its poor English-speaking ability even though six years of study are required in middle and high school.

The country’s average score on the TOEFL iBT, a computer-based test of English as a foreign language, in 2010 ranked 27th among 30 Asian countries, below Mongolia and Turkmenistan.

Only 9 percent of 1,156 white-collar workers surveyed by Recruit Agent, a recruiting firm, claim to be able to communicate in English. Many respondents evaluated their speaking and listening aptitude as “Barely.”

But things are starting to change, prompted by a growing sense of urgency about employment.

NO ENGLISH, NO JOBS?

The first push came from online retailer Rakuten’s 2010 decision to make English their official language. Fast Retailing, the operator of the Uniqlo apparel chain, also wants to make English its official language by 2012 and test its employees for proficiency.

“Rakuten’s decision triggered a shock-wave that’s extended to many other companies, especially manufacturers, because they too are under pressure to expand outside a shrinking home market,” said Yuriko Tsurumaki, a Recruit Agent spokeswoman.

“Not all Japanese firms have businesses overseas for the time being but people are seeing possibilities and sharing a sense of crisis (about English).”

Now nearly half of Japanese companies planning new hiring require applicants to be “business English users” – a big rise from 16 percent in July 2009, she said.

Highlighting fears among businessmen with poor English, a number of companies, including chip maker Elpida Memory and Murata Manufacturing Co, a maker of parts used in mobile phones and computers, are shifting some production outside Japan to cope with a currency near record highs.

The surging yen is also encouraging Japanese firms to acquire businesses overseas to build more revenue pillars, with trading house Itochu buying Britain’s tire seller Kwik Fit for $1 billion.

As a result, Japan’s foreign language education market is growing, with learners more than willing to fork out plenty of money on lessons, DVDs or e-learning.

It rose 1.6 percent to $9.8 billion in 2010 from a year earlier, said Yano Institute of Research, and is set to grow another 1.8 percent this year, making it a rare bright spot amid lagging Japanese private consumption.

“This is just the start of Japan’s real globalization. Everyone is feeling that they’ll see a no-English-no-job situation,” Gaba‘s president Kenji Kamiyama told Reuters in a recent interview.

Thanks to avid English learners, Gaba says it has almost achieved its student number target for the year and predicts the upbeat trend will likely last for a while. Gaba says that on average, a student spends about 50,000 yen ($654) a month — against an average 36,500 yen allowance for Japanese businesspeople.

“The English crisis shows the rapidly changing environment Japanese firms face. Most Japanese businessmen, for a long time, avoided an English-speaking environment,” Gaba’s Kamiyama said.

“But they now know that they can’t stay that way… It’s been a real kick in the pants for them.”

http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110922/lf_nm_life/us_japan_english

Welfare system not faring well

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Ten years ago, in her book “Nickel and Dimed,” Barbara Ehrenreich chronicled her own experience as a subsistence-level American wage-earner during a period of relative economic vigor. She found a whole class of workers who lived — and would always live — from paycheck to paycheck. In the afterword to the recently published tenth-anniversary edition of the book, Ehrenreich says that in the wake of the 2008 financial meltdown, these people now have to compete for minimum-wage jobs.

In spirit, Japan’s public welfare system is closer to America’s than it is to Europe’s. Citizens do not have a right to be supported by the government. Some claim they do and as proof point to Article 25 of the Constitution, which states that all people have the right to “maintain the minimum standards of wholesome and cultured living.” But Article 27 states that people have the right “and the obligation” to work. What this means in practice is that a person who applies for welfare must pass a rigorous screening process that can include personal disclosures, such as whether or not the applicant has access to support from a relative or even a lover.

NHK found that a substantial portion of the recipients are able-bodied males between the ages of 20 and 60. In the past, long-term welfare recipients belonged to one of three categories: elderly people, single mothers and the chronically ill or handicapped. The remaining recipients were people who were temporarily out of work, meaning their ranks were constantly changing. The number of unemployed in Japan hovers just under the 5 million mark, and as one case worker explained, most of the new additions to the welfare rolls are men who were employed as haken (contract workers), non-regular employees who could be laid off easily. After thousands of these workers lost their jobs in the financial meltdown of 2008, the Ministry of Health Labor and Welfare issued a directive to local governments to ease up on the requirements for receiving welfare. In principle, people who can work don’t qualify, but in order to provide relief to this large group of newly unemployed workers, the government said that they now did.

The central government is now asking local governments to refuse welfare payments to men who can work. That’s easier said than done, especially with the present job market. Employers are increasingly demanding specific skills, if not experience, even for minimum-wage jobs such as food service. Many of these unemployed welfare recipients, including those who want to work, don’t qualify. According to antipoverty activist Makoto Yuasa, who was interviewed on the program, taking away welfare could be “dangerous,” because the next step down for these men is “nothingness.”

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fd20110925pb.html

74 percent of fixed contract workers earn below 2 million yen annually

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Seventy-four percent of fixed-contract workers such as part-time and temporary employees earned less than 2 million yen a year, according to a recent survey, up 16.7 percentage points from the last survey in 2009, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said Sept. 14.

Of those fixed contract workers who performed the same jobs as permanent employees, 60.3 percent made less than 2 million yen, up sharply from 40.7 percent, reflecting the aggravated labor market

While 60.3 percent of fixed contract workers doing the same jobs and shouldering the same responsibilities as permanent employees settle for an annual income of below 2 million yen, 43.5 percent of contract workers utilizing more advanced skills than permanent employees also earned less than 2 million yen annually, up from 32.1 percent.

The survey also found that 76.5 percent of contract workers engaged in the same type of jobs also made less than 2 million a year, up from 62.0 percent.

By type of employment, contract workers accounted for 47.2 percent, up from 38.6 percent in the previous survey, and temporary workers totaled 56.7 percent, up from 45.7 percent.

Asked to cite up to three reasons for becoming fixed-contract workers, 43.6 percent of contract employees and 43.1 percent of fixed-term workers said they could not find regular jobs.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110915p2a00m0na008000c.html