Victories

Victoire au tribunal contre LFIT

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Chers et Chères Membres,
J’espère que tout le monde profite de ce temps chaud.
 
Pour ajouter au beau temps, nous avons remporté une nouvelle victoire aujourd’hui contre la direction du LFIT, cette fois au tribunal de district de Tokyo. La plupart de nos demandes ont été acceptées à 100% par le tribunal, qui a même décidé que l’école devait payer 90% des frais de justice (pas les frais d’avocat). Il est clair que le tribunal n’a pas accepté l’argument du LFIT selon lequel les heures de travail de Steven étaient en réalité de 40 heures par semaine, alors que le contrat indique 27 heures. Le tribunal n’a pas non plus accepté l’argument de l’école selon lequel elle pouvait suivre la coutume française en dépit de la loi japonaise.

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Commission Orders Lycée Français to negotiate with Tozen

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February 26, the Tokyo Labor Commission ordered Lycée Français International de Tokyo to stop refusing to negotiate with Tozen Union and its local Union des Personnels du Lycée Français international de Tokyo(UPL). The school had refused to discuss any demand that had been previously discussed and any demand that it said should only be discussed by the HR Committee.

The labor commission ruled that this constitutes an illegal refusal to negotiate, an unfair labor practice under Article 7 of the Trade Union Act.

The ruling rejected the school’s argument that even though it refused to negotiate, there was “no need for redress” since management subsequently negotiated. The commission also ordered the school to write a letter to Tozen Union and the UPL promising not to do it again.

Chers et Chères Membres de UPL

J’espère que tout le monde se porte bien.

①　J’aimerais vous faire part de l’évolution de notre affaire de pratiques de travail déloyales devant la Commission du travail de Tokyo. Le 26 février 2025, nous avons reçu un verdict favorable. La commission a estimé que le Lycée français international de Tokyo avait commis des pratiques déloyales de travail en refusant de négocier sur des questions décidées par le CRH et sur des questions déjà discutées. La commission a également ordonné à l’école de nous envoyer une lettre promettant de ne pas recommencer.

« La défenderesse, le Lycée Français international de Tokyo, doit remettre la lettre suivante au Zenkoku Ippan Tokyo General Union et au Zenkoku Ippan Tokyo General Union Union des Personnels du Lycée Français international de Tokyo dans un délai d’une semaine à compter de la réception de la présente ordonnance :

A : Président exécutif Hifumi Okunuki, Zenkoku Ippan Tokyo General Union, et Président exécutif Nerea Chica, Zenkoku Ippan Tokyo General Union des Personnels du Lycée Français international de Tokyo,
De : Claudia Scherer-Effosse, Lycée Français international de Tokyo,

La Commission du travail de Tokyo a certifié que notre organisation 1) a refusé de négocier avec vos syndicats lors de la session de négociation collective du 8 octobre 2021, répondant à l’ordre du jour demandé par vos syndicats en disant des choses telles que c’est une question qui doit être délibérée par le Comité des ressources humaines (CRH), et nous pouvons vous répondre après qu’il ait délibéré et pris une décision globale ; et a commis une pratique de travail déloyale en répondant pendant la négociation collective seulement que nous avons déjà répondu à cette question.

Nous veillerons à ne pas répéter l’infraction susmentionnée.’

Le défendeur fera rapidement rapport à cette commission du travail après s’être acquitté de l’obligation susmentionnée.»

La direction du LFIT n’a pas envoyé la lettre requise. Il est possible que la direction envisage de faire appel de la décision. Cette victoire est le fruit d’un effort collectif. Merci à toutes les personnes impliquées.

 

Interac banned from Osaka prefectural projects

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Cross posted from the General Union.
Let’s all work together for ALTs to be directly hired.
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Interac has been found guilty of unfair labour practices by the Osaka Prefectural Labour Commission in July 2010 for refusing to hold collective bargaining with the General Union (full story here).

Osaka prefectural ordinances prevent companies found in violation of Trade Union Law from bidding on public projects. The General Union, along with allied unions from Osaka Union Network and Osaka Zenrokyo have submitted demands to the Governor of Osaka Prefecture, Toru Hashimoto, that Prefectural ordinances be enforced.

As a result, Osaka Prefecture has now informed all divisions of the prefectural government, including the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education, that they may no longer enter into contracts with Interac. Furthermore, Osaka Prefecture has summoned Interac to explain the situation, placing further pressure on the company to obey the Trade Union Law and negotiate.

The union’s victory at the Labour Commission and its subsequent economic impact on Interac will go along way in making sure that not only Interac, but other employers trying to evade their legal obligations, negotiate with the union in the future.

Interac and Pregnancy: Getting Fired for Being Pregnant

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Last year when I was in the Osaka based General Union, we received an email from an Interac ALT who was rather upset because she had been fired for being pregnant. Martina (name changed) was set to have her contract renewed with her school where she was loved by her students and teachers. Her contract had already been promised to her verbally and her schools and students were looking forward to her return. Then, people in the Yokohama office found out something that they viewed as a major inconvenience to their business, Martina was pregnant and would be giving birth during the middle of the school year.

They told her that in light of her condition, it would be too much trouble for them to find a replacement in the middle of the school term, and had decided to go with someone else who was less…. pregnant.

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Liberation In Iwate

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In 2007, I recieved an email from an Interac employee that was interested in being directly hired by his BOE. He had tried in earnest to improve his working conditions through Interac, but they were uninterested in signing him up for Shakai Hoken, unemployment insurance, giving him a raise, etcetera. At the time I was in Osaka, and Iwate (the prefecture north of Tokyo, not the city in Osaka) is quite a long way away from the normal base of operations of Tokyo Nambu, much less Osaka’s General Union Interac Branch. I was not able to meet with him face to face, but I was able to provide him with a lot of information and advice that he was able to use to convince his BOE (Board of Education) that taking the plunge to hire him directly would be in everyone’s best interest. He has now been directly employed since spring of 2008 with no middle-man dispatch company to impede his rights as a worker under Japanese law.

This is his story, in his own words. Enjoy and be inspired. Any other ALTs in Iwate prefecture that want to liberate their BOE from their dispatch company can contact me and I will put you in contact with our friend, “The Abolitionist”.

In solidarity

(NOTE: His experiences and his claims may not match yours exactly. Contracts can have different variables in different parts of the country. They can even be different in the same part of the country, but with different BOEs. If his experience does not match yours exactly, don’t forget to take the possible variations into account.)

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From “The Abolitionist” in Iwate Prefecture:

It would be very sad for you, a great ALT, to resign to quitting your job and even leaving Japan, a country you love, because of Interac. Giving that much power to an amoral, impersonal business would indeed be a shame. That’s why I’m writing this. It’s not hopeless. A few years ago I was in this situation but my BOE cut out the middleman and gave me a direct contract. I would like to give you some tips on how to make this happen.

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