Tozen Berlitz Teachers Protest in Yurakucho 東ゼン労組ベルリッツ講師が有楽町で抗議行動

英語と日本語

On November 3, 2021, Berlitz teachers belonging to Tozen Union’s Begunto local, gathered in front of Berlitz Japan’s Yurakucho Language Center to demand the school reinstate wrongly terminated member Matt. They passed out over 100 leaflets to students and passersby, informing them of the union’s demand.

The corona pandemic has hurt Berlitz’ earnings, leading the company to offer voluntary early retirement packages and apply for government job-security assistance. The aid is premised on the company not laying off employees. Yet, the school has used the precarious employment of fixed-term contracts as a way to do what one member called, “back-door layoffs.”

In ordinary times, Berlitz automatically renews teachers’ one-year contracts, unless there is a major issue with a particular teacher. Now, the company has lowered the bar for non-renewals, taking away the job security teachers had enjoyed for decades.

The union is committed to fighting until the company reinstate our member Matt and to restoring job security for all Berlitz employees.

 

2021年11月3日(水)、東ゼン労組ベグント支部の組合員であるベルリッツ講師たちは、会社によるマット組合員への不当解雇を撤回し復職を要求すべく、ベルリッツジャパン有楽町ランゲージセンターに集結した。100部を超えるビラを生徒や通行人に配布し、組合の要求を伝える事ができた。

ベルリッツは、コロナ渦による収益への打撃を受け、講師への早期希望退職を募り、雇用調整助成金へ申込んだ。この助成金は、会社が従業員を解雇しないことを前提としているが、会社はこの有期雇用という不安定な雇用を、組合員に言わせれば「裏口解雇」として利用したのである。

通常、講師に特に大きな問題がない限り、ベルリッツは講師との1年契約を自動更新してきた。今や、会社は雇止めの基準を下げ、数十年に渡る講師の安定した雇用を乱した。

組合はマット組合員の復職、そして全てのベルリッツ講師の雇用の安定を取り戻すべく、この闘いに全力を尽くす姿勢だ。

Begunto Leafleting Action ベグントのビラ配り

On Saturday 25th September 2021, Tozen’s local, Begunto held a leafleting action in Nihonbashi.

Begunto recently entered into a dispute, and members are fighting for the reinstatement of our member Matt Wiegand.

2021年09月25日(土)、日本橋で東ゼン労組のベグント支部はビラを配った。

最近、ベグント支部は労働紛争に入って、 マット組合員の復職を求めて闘っている。

 

Begunto returns to striking for the first time in 13 years!

From the Begunto Website:
On September 14th Begunto entered dispute after weeks of negotiations that went nowhere. On September 16th we had our first striking member. The purpose of the strike is to realize the Union’s demand that our member, Matthew Wiegand, be reinstated in his job. We aim to protect members against unfair dismissals.

A message from Tozen Union President, Okunuki Hifumi, (16 September 2021):

Today, 13 years after its founding and now part of Tozen Union, our local Begunto has begun a new fight – this time not for more money but rather to protect the job of one of our members.  At 7:40 pm this evening, our member Yancey walked off the job – on strike to push Berlitz management to reinstate our member Matt Wiegand.

Begunto (Berlitz General Union Tokyo)  has a history going back to 1994, the year of its founding (then part of NUGW Tokyo Nambu).  Over the next 27 years, Begunto has blazed a wide trail for language teachers in Japan, with enormous victories that changed the language school industry. In 2007, the  union launched an intense, twelve-month strike to raise wages across the board by 4.6%, something unheard of among any teacher unions, let alone one with mostly foreign teachers. Berlitz Japan made two offers, but Begunto rejected them as too little.  (See the wikipedia entry for this historic strike)

This fight is Tozen Union’s fight as much as Begunto’s fight. We will fight together to protect all our members’  job from reckless firings like this one.  We will update you on events that all Tozen members can join to help us win.

In solidarity,
Hifumi Okunuki
Tozen Union Executive President