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。

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In October, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare released its first ever white paper on karōshi (death from overwork). The fact that the ministry can publish such a paper is a chilling reminder of the cruelty of the country’s workplace environment.

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