Tozen ALTs Enter Dispute with Interac 東ゼン労組のALT支部が、インタラックと労働紛争に突
On May 11, 2021, Tozen Union entered into dispute with Interac. Since our first collective bargaining (CB) in October 2019, Tozen Union and Interac have taken several important steps toward working out a deal. But after twenty-six CB sessions, workplace safety and wage issues remain. Our campaign to improve working conditions at Interac is important not just for employees, but for students and Japan’s education system.
2021年5月11日より東ゼン労組は株式会社インタラック関東南と（以下、インタラック）労働紛争に入りました。2019年10月に行われた初の団体交渉以来、東ゼン労組とインタラックは解決の方向へ進展を遂げてきました。しかし、職場の安全と賃金については、26回もの団体交渉を繰り返す中で、未だに進展がありません。東ゼン労組がインタラックの労働条件をより良くしようと挑んでいるこのキャンペーンは、労働者だけではなく、生徒たちや日本の教育システムにとっても大事な活動です。
Bread & Roses: Covid, Not Olympics, Requires Our National Effort
SNA (Tokyo) — I teach a weekly class on social security theory at a nursing college. When I read comments from the aspiring nurses, I can see their passion for alleviating human suffering, as well as for the class, which is gratifying as a teacher.
The Covid pandemic that has spread over the globe over the past year has impacted medical facilities the most. Tokyo recently declared its third state of emergency, as the daily toll of new patients sometimes exceeds 1,000 people. Japan doesn’t restrict people’s movement as in a mandatory lockdown; the state of emergency means only that restaurants and department stores close an hour earlier than usual, and restaurants serve fewer alcoholic beverages.
Tozen Union Opposes the Tokyo Olympics
As a labour union we fight for workers’ rights, and worker safety. And the Tokyo Olympics has had numerous counts of worker deaths and injuries, and workers have reported a “culture of fear” that discouraged them from making complaints about working conditions.
Another major reason that we do not support the Olympics is that the world is currently in the midst of a global pandemic. Corona cases in Japan have been constantly rising and dropping, and with no large-scale vaccination in sight, going ahead with the olympics would be an unnecessary risk to all.
Other reasons that we oppose the Tokyo Olympics are:
- Financial costs
- Loss of homes
- Reports of corruption and bribery
- The militarisation of the police
- Unsafe temperatures.
フィリピン人家事労働者が抱えている労働問題が記事になりました。 TOZEN mentioned in article about Filipino domestic workers.
Tozen, and our President Okunuki Hifumi, have been mentioned in the following article by Mieko Takenobu about the difficulties that Filipino domestic workers have.
竹信三恵子氏のフィリピン人家事労働者が抱える問題についての記事の中で、東ゼン労組と執行委員長の奥貫妃文についても触れていただきました。
Bread & Roses: Needless Death of a Sri Lankan Detainee
SNA (Tokyo) — “Japan is safer than other countries; the Japanese are kind; the streets are clean; and it’s easy to live here.” I hear foreigners say these things. But I also hear it from Japanese who have never lived abroad. The mainstream media’s Nippon Sugoi! campaign is working, perhaps, but it’s not far off from the nation’s general reputation. But read on: The current reality may blow your image of my country to smithereens. Can such a thing be happening in Japan in 2021?
外国語指導助手 “低賃金・不安定な雇用” 実態は – ALTs struggle with low wages and precarious employment.
Tozen’s President Hifumi Okunuki was interviewed by NHK news.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/sapporo-news/20210326/7000032242.html
東京ウエストインターナショナルスクールでの抗議
東ゼン労組の新たな支部、TWIST （東京ウエストインターナショナル東ゼン）が2021年3月9日の午後、東京ウエストインターナショナルスクール（以下「TWIS」）前で抗議行動を行いました。八王子にあるTWISの講師たちは、組合員に対する不当解雇に対して抗議をするべく集まった。2021年1月末、組合員たちは膨大な未払い残業代、まとまった休憩時間や休憩場所が確保されていないこと、有給休暇が少ないこと、職場における一般的なサポートや整頓の欠如などの問題に受け、学校側に対し支部結成通知を行った。
初の団体交渉を行った直後の2月19日、TWISは組合員を解雇した。
「私たちは、学校側に要求事項を説明し、素晴らしい団交が行えました。」組合員の一人はこう述べる。
「私たちは経営側に私たちの問題を正直に打ち明け、学校側は私たちに耳を傾けているように思えました。私たちは学校側と共に協力し、労働環境を改善してゆけることを望んでいました。ですが、学校側は私たちが組合を結成したことにより組合員たちを解雇し、私たちは失望しています。組合側は学校に対し解雇撤回に対する締切を3月8日と通知しましたが、学校は解雇撤回を拒否しました。私たちは、この現状を他の人たちにも知ってもらいたいです。有能な講師たちが正当な理由もなく解雇されており、今直面している解雇問題をこれから先も同じことが起こらないよう防ぎたいです。」
Protest Held at Tokyo West International School
A new Tozen Union local called TWIST (Tokyo West International School Tozen) held a protest on the afternoon of Tuesday March 9 at Tokyo West International School. Teachers at this Hachioji, Tokyo school gathered to protest the recent unfair dismissals of union members. They had declared their new union in late January of 2021, because many worked overtime without pay, lacked breaks, had fewer days of paid leave, and faced a general lack of support and disorganization in the workplace.
The union had just one collective bargaining session with management before the school decided to dismiss several members on February 19.
“We had a great meeting with management explaining our demands,” one member said. “We were open, honest and thought management had listened to our concerns. We wanted to work together to improve our work environment. Now we feel disappointed that many of our members were dismissed in retaliation for forming a union. Management rejected our pleas to reverse the dismissals before the March 8th deadline we set. We want to make others aware of the situation. Talented teachers are being dismissed without cause, and we want to prevent that from happening now and in the future.”
Bread & Roses: Osaka Court Overturns Welfare Cut
SNA (Tokyo) — A Japanese court overturned a welfare reduction for the first time ever on February 22, 2021. The Osaka District Court ruled against the government’s 2013 public assistance reduction of ¥67 billion (US$632 million), marking the first court win for the Inochi no Toride litigation campaign, involving more than 1,000 plaintiffs in 29 prefectures around Japan.
Attorney Tetsuro Kokubo, deputy head of the defense team, said, “This is the first time in my long career as a lawyer that I cried when I heard the verdict.” The comment poignantly conveys the challenges of fighting state power.