Inside the “Voice”
Shakai Hoken and You Welcome to Fukuoka General Union Simul Union wins big University Teachers Union Update
News from the General Union (Kansai & Tokai), NUGW Tokyo South, Fukuoka General Union, Miyagi Amalgamated Union, NUGW Kanagawa
- General Union As reported in December’s National Union Voice, unhappy with the lack of proper health and pension rights for foreign workers in Japan, General Union members voted to adopt a resolution regarding Shakai Hoken. The first rounds of demands have now been sent to the major eikaiwas, including Nova, Geos, Aeon, ECC and Interac. We are now beginning to receive their formal replies. Nova’s recent response outlines clearly that they are breaking the law by not enrolling teachers. Nova further exasperates the problem by squeezing profits from their own insurance scheme: Japan Medical Assistance (JMA). Nova, in the professed interests of its employees, requires all new instructors to have insurance (and proof thereof) before coming to Japan. Nova also happens to offer its own insurance in the form of JMA. Prospective employees are deliberately left unaware or under aware of Shakai Hoken and its benefits. They are “offered” JMA. The result is that Nova manages to shirk its legal responsibilities by not paying into a compulsory, government established insurance system, and is instead having its employees pay Nova for its own private insurance scheme. Our research shows that there are 4500 people insured under JMA. Using this number as a starting point (there are
more than 4500 full time teachers at NOVA) and a very conservative salary average of 250,000 yen per month, NOVA is saving itself over a billion per year in employer Shakai Hoken contributions. The question of the legality of Nova’s JMA policies arose in talks held between the General Union and the underwriters,
Mitsui Sumitomo. Mitsui Sumitomo stated that in order to purchase traveller’s insurance (for a resident of Japan for use in Japan), the condition is that one must be enrolled in Shakai Hoken. Mitsui Sumitomo claims that NOVA told them that all teachers were enrolled. Discussions with Mitsui Sumitomo continue. (See NOVA…pg. 4)
- Tokyo Nambu Most foreign workers have no job security. More than 20% of Japanese male workers and more than 50% of Japanese female workers have fixedterm contracts rather than permanent seishain status. Over 90% of foreign workers have this unstable employment status. On top of the insecurity of renewal/nonrenewal every six or twelve months,
foreigners are dismissed outright (even in the middle of a contract) at a rate far higher than their Japanese coworkers. While Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s reforms erode job security for Japanese workers, foreigners are fired at whim. Nova, the English conversation industry leader, has an unspoken policy of turning out longserving (and thus expensive) workers. (See March…pg. 2)