SIT

For Japan’s English teachers, rays of hope amid the race to the bottom

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The major economic engines of Japan Inc. — car manufacturers, appliance giants and the like — have often been caught price-fixing: colluding to keep an even market share, squeeze competitors out and maintain “harmony.” Similarly, the commercial English-teaching business could be accused of wage-fixing: Rather than competing for talent, they have followed one another’s lead, driving down salaries to hamper career development, limit job mobility and keep foreign teachers firmly in their place.

We’ve all heard the tale of the scorpion and the frog. In a rising flood, the scorpion asks the frog for a piggy-back ride across the river. The frog refuses, complaining that the scorpion will sting it to death midway. The scorpion assures the frog it would do no such thing because they would both drown. The frog accepts the logic, lets the scorpion on its back and begins to swim.

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組合活動した大学の外国人講師7人雇い止め「ユニオンの排除が目的か」弁護士が批判

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東京・豊洲などにキャンパスがある「芝浦工業大学」で英語を教えていたが、3月末に雇い止めになった外国人の元非常勤講師7人が4月7日、厚労省記者クラブで会見を開いた。元講師たちは、カリキュラムの変更を理由に雇用契約が更新されなかったのは無効だとして、雇用の継続を訴えた。

7人は労働組合を結成して、大学側と労働環境の改善に向けた交渉をしていた。7人を支援する弁護士は「ユニオンを排除するためにカリキュラムを変えたのではないか」と語っている。

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看過できぬ、芝浦工業大学の組合つぶし

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全国一般東京ゼネラルユニオン（東ゼン労組）は今週木曜、東京都労働委員会に、芝浦工業大学（SIT）による不当労働行為の救済申立てを行った。

東ゼン労組は、SITが組合加盟者全員の解雇（雇い止めを含めて）を来年度に予定している点について、法に反する組合つぶしに相当すると主張している。組合に加盟しているSIT講師は、来年度にとどまらない期間の定めのない雇用を求めて、今年6月から散発的にストライキを実施してきた。

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Shane Teachers Begin Tozen Strike Action

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Several teachers at Shane laid down their white board markers on Tuesday to demand the reinstatement of an unfairly dismissed union member and to demand job security.

The English language school illegally fired a teacher for leaving the school during a break. In Japan employees are 100% free during breaks.

Shane also forces teachers through the humiliation and insecurity of one-year revolving contracts. Tozen Union Shane Workers Union is fighting for several demands, among them ordinary permanent employment.

We are experiencing union growth at Shane and look forward to having enough members to make striking even more effective. We also reach out to Shane administrative staff to join forces.

Shibaura Institute of Technology Workers on Strike

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Today, the Shibaura Institute of Technology Workers Union both struck and leafleted the university. Five members of the union struck all three of their Monday lessons, from 1:00pm to 5:50pm.

This was the first day of the new semester and thus it was necessary to explain the strike to students whom the university has not made aware of its ongoing labor dispute with non-Japanese English teachers it wishes to fire and replace with Japanese-speaking English teachers.

To this end, a total of seven striking teachers and other supporters from parent-union Zenkoku Ipppan Tokyo General Union, or Tozen, leafleted the Omiya campus’s Higashi-Omiya Station bus stop from 12:20pm to 12:50pm. Reaction was positive from students and teachers alike, with many of those leafleted expressing sympathy with the unfair treatment the strikers are receiving.

The union plans to continue industrial action until the university stops stonewalling and agrees to some kind of compromise.

芝浦工業大学、講師のストは、第２週に入る SIT Teacher Strike Enters Second Week

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「私たちは、ストライキの第２週に入りました。学生たちからのご支援と御関心は、本当に心強いです。多くの学生から話しかけられたり、質問をされたり、ホームページを閲覧したり、諦めるなという励ましの言葉もいただきました。学生らのご支援さえあれば、失われそうな職を守るまで闘い続けられると思います。」
全国一般東京ゼネラルユニオン（略称　「東ゼン労組」）
芝浦工業大学教職員組合
執行委員長　アンソニー・ドーラン

”We have moved into our second week striking. The encouragement and interest of the students has been really uplifting. Many students have talked to us, asked us questions, visited our website, and told us not to give up. With the students’ support, we can keep this strike going until our jobs are saved.”
Anthony Dolan President Tokyo General Union, Shibaura Institute of Technology Workers’ Union Branch

芝浦工業大学の講師は労働紛争に入った!　～　Shibaura Institute of Technology Teachers on Strike!

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２０１３年に芝浦工業大学（ＳＩＴ）の講師は全国一般東京ゼネラルユニオン（東ゼン労組）でＳＩＴ支部を結成した。講師の労働条件の改善を目指して、大学に対して団体交渉を開いた。しかし、大学は、突然、「来年度から英語カリキュラムを変更する。来年度は改めて応募せよ。」と一方的に告げました。これはつまり、すべての組合に加盟している講師がクビになることを意味します。

In 2013 Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT) teachers formed the SIT Local at Zenkoku Ippan Tokyo General Union (Tozen Union). The union started collective bargaining with the university to improve working conditions for the staff. But then suddenly the university announced that they would “change the English curriculum” and that teachers could “reapply for their jobs” next academic year. In other words, they will be fired.

東ゼン労組は講師の仕事を守るために何度も交渉しようとしたが、残念ながら、今まで大学は譲歩する態度がまったくない。それ故、ＳＩＴ支部の講師は、今日から、仕事を守るためにスト権を講師している。

Tozen Union negotiated many times to save the teachers’ jobs. Unfortunately the university has shown no sign of compromise. In response, the SIT Local has chosen to go on strike from today to protect the teachers’ jobs.

ＳＩＴの皆さんは、ぜひ私たちの闘いを応援して頂きたい。

We would like everyone at SIT to support our fight.

ＳＩＴの従業員である皆さん（講師に限らず）組合に加盟して下さい。

If you work at SIT (even if you aren’t a teacher), please join the union.

ＳＩＴの学生である皆さん、下記の連絡先に応援するメッセージを送って頂ければ、助かる。

If you are a student at SIT, please send a message of support for the union to the following address.

担当者：ルイス・カーレット

Case Officer: Louis Carlet

メール：tozen.carlet@gmail.com

E-mail: tozen.carlet@gmail.com

電話：090-9363-6580

Phone: 090-9363-6580