While Japanese and foreign members at Osaka Gaigo
extended last week's strike deadline in hopes of a better offer from
their employer by 9 July, management's weak offer will lead to a
Thursday, 11 July strike.
Osaka Gaigo made a last minute pay offer of a measly 0.12 month's summer
bonus for Japanese workers and a 'no change' offer for the foreign
teachers. The employer did offer and extra ¥5000 extra for the winter
bonus, but this is far off the members' counter offer of one full
month's bonus this year.
Teachers and staff have been suffering cuts to their bonuses and small
if any wage increases over many years and this year the General Union in
cooperation with Naniwa Union decided to stop the rot in wages and
bonuses. The employer rightfully claims a drop in student numbers but
failed to show the unions their total labour costs as they have lost
many teachers over the years and bonuses have deteriorated for those who
remained. Osaka Gaigo also failed to explain their profit/loss over the
sale of a building. An honest opening of the books may have prevented a
strike but the employer's failure to be open with their figures while
making the workers carry the burden the school's poor performance are
the only reasons this strike is even taking place.
If strike action increases in the future, union members will be called
upon to help boost picket lines. A victory at Osaka Gaigo will put all
employers on notice that we will not allow the deterioration of our
living standards to pay for the bosses' mistakes.
(General Union website)
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Japanese and foreign teachers and staff
represented by Naniwa Union and the General Union have signified their
intention to go on strike by sumbitting a strike deadline to Osaka Gaigo
Senmon Gakko.
The deadline asks that an offer to the unions' wages demands of a 5% pay
increase and a month's bonus twice per year be made by the employer.
These pay demands come after years of wage stagnation. While members
understand that due to falling student numbers Osaka Gaigo may not be as
healthy as they once were, they still believe that the employer's
financial situation shouldn't be shouldered entirely by teachers and
staff.
The unions have given the employer ample opportunity to make a full
financial disclosure so that members can decide if the employer can or
cannot afford a pay increase. The employer has provided some information
about student and employee numbers, but has failed to provide the union
with wage, revenue, asset, and expenditure figures. The union has gone
as far as offering to sign a collective agreement over the privacy of
these figures, but the employer has still balked. The employer's failure
to provide this important information has left members feeling that the
school is hiding the its true financial situation and using falling
student numbers as an excuse to drive employees out of the company
through a low wage policy.
While the employer refuses to provide financial information, members are gearing up for a strike. More to follow. (General Union Website)
大阪外語で賃上げを求めてストライキの動き
なにわユニオンゼネラル・ユニオンに加盟している日本人・外国人労働者たちは、大阪外語専門学校に2週間のスト突入までの交渉期限を提示し、ストライキ突入の意思を示した。
この交渉における組合の要求は、５%の賃上げと年2回の1か月分の賞与の支給を雇用者が受け入れることである。これらの要求は、数年間に渡る賃金伸び悩み
の結果を受けて出てきたものである。組合員たちは、学生数の減少によって大阪外語の財政状態はかつてほど健全ではないことは理解しているが、雇用者は講師
や職員にその負担を求めるべきではないと信じている。
組合は雇用者に組合員たちが賃上げを行う余裕があるか否かを決定することができるように、完全な財務状態の開示の機会を十分に与えてきた。雇用者は、学生
と従業員数についての一部の情報を提供したものの、組合に対して賃金、収入、資産および支出の数字を提供してはいない。組合はこれらの数字の秘密保持に関
する団体協約への署名を申し出さえしたが、雇用者側は依然として二の足を踏んでいる。雇用者がこの重要な情報を提供しないので、組合員たちは学校が本当の
財務状況を隠しており、生徒数の減少を隠れ蓑にして、低賃金の方針を取り続けることにより、従業員を追い出そうとしているのではないかと感じるようになっ
ている。
雇用者は財務情報の提供を拒絶し続けており、組合員たちはストライキの準備をおこなっている。
