Labor law covers a great deal of territory, from wages, work hours, transfers and performance evaluation to dismissals, selling of business rights and industrial accidents. One subject often overlooked is break time or kyūkei. My labor law encyclopedia devotes far fewer pages to this subject than just about any other topic. It is, after all, labor law, not “rest law.”
800,000 firms likely dodged pension scheme
The Yomiuri Shimbun
About 800,000 small and midsize companies are strongly suspected of evading their legal obligation to join the public pension scheme for company employees, according to the results of a joint investigation by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry and the National Tax Agency.
The ministry identified the companies that have likely not joined the pension scheme by examining data provided by the tax agency.
Japan College of Foreign Languages Local Conducts Recruitment Leafleting, Braves Illegal and Dangerous Management Harassment
JCFL Members braved the rain and management harassment on Thursday, January 22 to conduct a recruitment leafleting to in front of the JCFL Takadanobaba campus during their lunch break.
At 12:30, Case officer Gerome Rothman and three union members arrived at the front gate. They began leafleting instructors and staff.
Shortly after the union began, management deployed several non-union staffers to interfere with the leafleting. Management first told the union they would call the police. The union responded by insisting management stop interfering with our legitimate union activity.
Forty years after Zainichi labor case victory, is Japan turning back the clock?
I was hoping to start off the Year of the Sheep in a subdued, “sheepish” fashion, but bad news just keeps on coming. The ruling coalition is working hard to push through a bill to abolish overtime pay for high-income workers and another to deregulate temp-agency employment (haken). These bills will hurt the conditions of all workers in Japan, including foreigners.
Speaking of foreign workers, I’d like to focus this month on how labor laws in Japan handle the issue of nationality. But first, a detour:
Japanese society over the past couple of years has taken a dangerous turn toward extreme nationalism. My husband noted, “Since 2014, both NHK and the private broadcasters have changed how they refer to Japan, from using the word Nihon to Nippon.” The latter was used during World War II and is associated with jingoistic militarism. It also has a harsher consonant sound than “Nihon.”
Abe, business heads, labor unions agree on efforts for wage growth
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration crafted a joint statement Tuesday with leaders of business organizations and labor unions, aiming to bolster the economy through wage growth.
At a trilateral meeting, Abe also urged large manufacturers, which have benefited from the yen’s slide, to trade with their subcontracting companies at higher prices to allow the effects of his “Abenomics” policy mix to trickle down to smaller firms and local economies.
Toyota labor unions to demand minimum ¥6,000 pay hike
空の労働者、JAL165名不当解雇の闘いに連帯を
～原告団長内田妙子さんインタビュー～
2010年大晦日。世間の多くの人びとは、慌ただしく新年を迎える準備をしながら、ワクワクと心躍らせていたことだろう。そんななか、日本屈指の航空会社、鶴のトレードマークで有名なJAL（日本航空）で働く165名の労働者らは、大晦日に会社からクビを切られた。パイロット81名と客室乗務員84名。長年、誇りと情熱をもって空の安全を守るために仕事に従事してきた彼らは、なぜ、大晦日に仕事を奪われなければならなかったのだろうか。
Standing up to the country’s flagship carrier
Credibility of justice system in spotlight as highest court to make ruling on JAL layoffs
BY HIFUMI OKUNUKI
Apple Einzelhandels-Beschäftigte in Japan organisieren sich gewerkschaftlich
Heute erklärten Apple Retail-Beschäftigte die Gründung einer neuen Gewerkschaft gegenüber Apple Management. Der offizielle Name der Gewerkschaft ist “Zenkoku Ippan Tokyo General Union Apple Japan Local”. Die Gewerkschaft hat schon erste Forderungen gestellt und wird in naher Zukunft in Kollektivverhandlungen mit der Firma treten.
Unione Lavoratori Apple in Giappone
Oggi i lavoratori del Retail di Apple Japan hanno annunciato la formazione dell’unione alla dirigenza aziendale. Il nome ufficiale dell’unione è Zenkoku Ippan Tokyo General Union Apple Japan Local. L’unione ha formulato delle richieste e avrà trattative collettive con l’azienda nel prossimo futuro.