Job security at ECC...coming soon??

The General Union's campaigning for job security at ECC Foreign Language Institute has seen some major changes. From this spring teachers can become seishain (permanent employee) and are also one step closer to permanent employment.

Native teachers now have the opportunity to be promoted to seishain with recommendations from their supervisors. ECC management has told the union that from March 1st, native teachers working in schools will also be eligible for seishain positions. Native teachers promoted to seishain will have to complete 10 hours of extra non-teaching duties. In the words of ECC management, "This is one big step forward". Though with only 2 native teachers (both district office workers) being promoted to seishain this spring, the General Union will pay close attention to ECC's sincerity in the promotion of actual teaching staff to seishain. ECC employees can be recommended for seishain positions by managers throughout the year with appointment starting in March, June, September and December.

Job security through seishain positions is not the only step towards permanent employment. ECC has implemented the revisions to the Labour Contract Law giving all employees the right to ask for an unlimited term contract after 5 years of continuous employment. However, ECC will not take into consideration length of service for time served before April 1st, 2013. Furthermore, management have implemented a mandatory retirement age of 60 with rather harsh re-employment guidelines.

On one hand these changes put job security on the horizon for some teachers, but in reality, new contract renewal guidelines, and unclear after 60 working conditions (for employees who don't receive company paid retirement allowances) raise many new concerns. (By General Union)