Lessons in Japan’s labor laws from striking NPB baseball stars and English teachers

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Eleven years ago, baseball players walked off the field in protest for the first time in the seven-decade professional history of the game in Japan.

Owners wanted to consolidate two of the dozen pro teams, without offering a replacement. Players opposed the merger and were outraged that they had been kept out of the decision-making process. Atsuya Furuta of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows led collective bargaining on behalf of the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association union. Talks broke down and players struck six scheduled games over two days.

Players reached out to their fans with signing and photo events. Most fans sided with the striking players, but a vocal minority accused them of selfishness and having insulted their fans.

It always strikes me as odd how striking workers — rather than stubborn bosses — are often the ones accused of greed. The players did not take the decision to strike lightly; they had agonized over the decision and certainly were not taking their fans for granted. They made impassioned appeals to the fans that a strike was the only way they could save the wonderful spirit of the game.

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改めて考える・・・「労働者にとってのストライキ」〜ストライキにどこか「罪悪感」を感じているすべての人へ〜

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今から11年前、日本のプロ野球は、日本プロ野球球団設立以来初めてのストライキを行った。当時最大規模の「球界再編」が行われようとしていたが、その決定のプロセスのなかに「選手」は入っていなかった。自分たちのことなのに、なぜ自分たちが外されているのか…？　我慢ができなかった選手たちは、当時の選手会会長である古田敦也（ふるた　あつや）氏を中心に、何回も団体交渉を重ねたものの、交渉は決裂。そしてついに、開催予定だった６つの試合でストライキが決行された。

ストライキは２日に及んだが、この間、選手たちは自主練習をしたり、ファンとのふれあいのイベント（サイン会や写真撮影会）を開催したりしていた。彼らのストライキに対しては、ほとんどのファンがストライキを支持し応援していたものの、なかには「ファンをないがしろにしている」、「自分たちだけよければいいのか」といった非難もあった。選手たちはおそらくこうした声を重く受け止めていたのだろう。彼らは、ストライキが苦渋の果ての決断であったということ、そして、決してファンを軽視するものではなく、むしろファンにとってより楽しいプロ野球にするためにも、ストライキが不可避であるといったことを、一生懸命にアピールしていた。

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Tozen Union Blast Past 200 Members with 20 Local Chapters

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Saturday afternoon Tozen Union drove through an important milestone, 200 members with the approval of seven new members. This is about twice the number of members at the time of founding on April 25, 2010.  The Tozen executive also authorized the formation of two new local unions, bringing the number of local chapters to a nice round 20.

Tozen are pushing forward on several fronts, with major disputes at Gaba, Shane and JCFL. The labour union currently have five cases in the dock at Tokyo Labor Commission, including two against JCFL and one against Shibaura Institute of Technology, which may be settled soon.  

Other fights are brewing. 

電話による労働の無料法律相

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外国人のための

２０１５年５月１７日（日）電話による労働の無料法律相談
●弁護士(attorneys律師advogados)による電話相談　相談料・通訳料は無料

●仕事中のけが、仕事場への行き・帰り道でのけが、お給料をはらってもらえない、残業代をはらってもらえない、理由もないのに仕事をやめさせられた、いじめ、セクハラなどの仕事に関する問題について

●外国人、外国人を支援している人なら全国どこからでもお電話をいただけます。

●中国語、ポルトガル語、スペイン語の通訳人がいます。

★相談内容は秘密にします★

そうだん方法

①まずは、上の電話番号にお電話ください。

②日本語を話せる方はそのままお話しください。中国語、ポルトガル語、スペイン語での相談を希望される方は、教えてください。電話に通訳人がでたら、お話しください。

③通訳人が、別の相談をうけている場合には、こちらからおりかえしお電話しますので、お名前と電話番号をおしらせください。

主催者（相談を担当する弁護士）

外国人労働者弁護団　　　　　　　　https://grb2012.wordpress.com/
外国人技能実習生問題弁護士連絡会　http://kenbenren.www.k-chuolaw.com/

マイグラント研究会　　　　　　　　http://migrant-worker.org/

有关外国人 劳动问题的免费法律咨询

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２０１５年１１月２９日(周日）
下午２～７点

●由律师解答您的疑问，无需咨询费和翻译费
●工作时受伤；在上下班路上受伤；工作单位不付工资 或加班费；没有正当理由而被解雇；工作中的冲突、纠 纷；受上司欺负等等，诸如此类的问题
●无论您自己是外国人或是帮助外国人的团体，欢迎大 家从全国各地致电咨询。
●我们有中文、葡萄牙语和西班牙语翻译服务。
★绝对保密咨询内容★

T E L
东京 ０３－６４２７－５９０２ 日语和西班牙语服务 和中文服务
名古屋 ０５２－４１４－５９０１ 日语和葡萄牙语服务 （也有西班牙语服务）
大阪 ０６－４７０８―３６３１ 日语和中文服务
广岛 ０５０－３１３６－５２５０ 日语服务

①请打电话到上记的电话号码。
②如果您会讲日语，就用日语咨询。如果您需要中文、葡 萄牙语或西班牙语的翻译服务，请告诉我们。翻译将与您 通话。
③如果您需要的语言翻译正在接其他电话，我们稍后将回 电给您，请告诉我们您的名字和电话号码。

主办方（负责咨询的律师）
外国人劳动者律师团
https://grb2012.wordpress.com/
外国人技能实习生问题律师联络会
http://kenbenren.www.k-chuolaw.com/
外国人劳动者研究会
http://migrant-worker.org/

CONSULTA GRATUITA AOS ESTRANGEIROS por TELEFONE : PROBLEMAS TRABALHISTAS

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Dia: 29/11/2015(DOMINGO) 14～19h
●Consultas com advogados e intérpretes.
●Problemas referente ao serviço como acidente durante o trabalho, acidente de trânsito durante a rota do serviço, salário e horas extras não recebidos, demissão sem motivo, Ijime, assédios, etc. 

●O próprio estrangeiro ou a pessoa que deseja ajudar o companheiro com problemas, poderão utilizar essa consulta de qualquer lugar do país. 

●Haverá intérpretes em português, espanhol e chinês. 

★O conteúdo da consulta será mantido em sigilo★

T E L 

Tokyo ０３－６４２７－５９０２ (japonês, espanhol, e chinês) 

Nagoya ０５２－４１４－５９０１ (japonês, português e espanhol) 

Osaka ０６－４７０８―３６３１ (japonês e chinês) 

Hiroshima ０５０－３１３６－５２５０ (japonês) 

COMO CONSULTAR 

1 Disque o número acima. 

2 Se souber falar o idioma japonês, continue falando. Caso deseje falar em chinês, porutguês ou em espanhol, peça para chamar intérprete e faça a consulta.

 3 Caso o(a) intérprete estiver ocupado(a) atendendo a outra consulta, deixe o seu nome e telefone para retornar a ligação. 

PROMOÇÃO
(Advogados Responsáveis para Consulta) Equipe dos Advogados para Trabalhadores Estrangeiros
https://grb2012.wordpress.com/ 
Equipe dos Advogados sobre os problemas dos Estagiários Estrangeiros
http://kenbenren.www.k-chuolaw.com/ 

Migrant Kenkyu-kai
http://migrant-worker.org/

Consultas sobre las leyes de trabajo gratis por teléfono; para extranjeros.

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Dia: Domingo ２９ de Novienbre del 2015 14～１９h
・Habra asesoramiento teléfonico por abogados. 
・La consulta y los interpretes son gratuitos. 

・Problemas como ; Accidentes en el trabajo. Sobre el seguro de accidentes de trabajo en el trayecto de la casa a la fabrica y de la fabrica a la casa. No te pagan el salario o no te pagan las horas extras de trabajo, Despido injustificado y/o despido imtenpestivo. Te tratan mal, acoso sexual. 

・Pueden llamar extranjeros o personas que apoyan a extranjeros en todo Japon. 

・Hay interpretes del idioma Chino, Portugues y Español. 

★ El contenido de la consulta es confidencial ★

Teléfono 
Tokyo ０３－６４２７－５９０２ Japones・Español ･Chino 

Nagoya ０５２－４１４－５９０１ Japones・Portugues (Español) 

Osaka ０６－４７０８―３６３１ Japones・Chino 

Hiroshima ０５０－３１３６－５２５０ Japones 
COMO CONSULTAR 

1 Llame al numero telefónico que aparece arriba. 

2 Las personas que pueden hablar Japones, consulten en Japones. Las personas que desean consultar en Chino, Portugues y Español, díganle la persona que conteste el teléfono. 

3 En caso de que el interprete este atendiendo otra llamada, nosotros le devolveremos la llamada a usted. 
Organizadores 

・Asociacion de abogados para trabajadores extranjeros

http://grb2012.wordpress.com/
・Grupo de abogados para trabajadores aprendices  

http://kenbenren.www.k-chuolaw.com/ 
・Grupo de estudio “imigrantes” 

http://migrant-worker.org/

In Japan, adultery can cost you your job as well as your marriage

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KYODO

Fūkibinran. Now that is a Japanese expression you don’t see around much these days. I bet many young Japanese readers don’t even know how to read the four kanji that make up this word: 風紀紊乱.

It means something akin to “an affront to public morality,” “a breakdown in customary discipline” or, perhaps, “compromising love relations.” But there are simpler and more direct ways to render this expression in English — how about “adultery,” “cheating” or “having multiple partners”?

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Legal change will make temp purgatory permanent for many Japanese workers

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Eight years ago, a TV drama about temporary workers generated a great deal of excitement around Japan. In “Haken no Hinkaku” (“Dignity of a Temp”), model-actress-singer Ryoko Shinohara played Haruko Omae, a “super-temp” who masterfully tackled the myriad troubles that arose in her ¥3,000-an-hour job. Unshakable, aloof and playing by her own rules, she performed better than any of the regular employees, refused all overtime and off-the-clock socialization, and shunned flattery and fake smiles to boot.

Unfortunately, the drama did not reflect reality. In real life, critics said, such a temp worker (haken shain) would have been fired on the spot, and regardless of skill level, temp workers tend to be seen as outsiders and are treated worse than regular workers.

On Wednesday, recent revisions to the Worker Dispatch Law go into effect. There was chaotic debate in the Diet over this bill, just as there was with the security bills, but in the end the ruling coalition dealt with it in the same way as it has other unpopular measures: by pushing it through with their majority in both chambers.

Let’s look at the details of the changes.

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