For the record: Nichibei is making NO EFFORT WHATSOEVER to settle the problems. They have not approached the union with any new proposal at all, or made any attempt to talk to us since negotiations on 6 June. As usual, Nichibei has been spreading the lie that the union will not compromise in its pay rise demand (the Umeda manager has been told this). We have said explicitly many times that WE WILL COMPROMISE. In contrast, Nichibei has explicitly declared to the Osaka Labour Commission that they are refusing mediation because they cannot compromise. Who is being unreasonable? What is mediation? It’s a public service offered to parties in a labour dispute, by which the mediators try to bring together both parties in a compromise. It is very unusual for a company to reject an offer of mediation. Of course Nichibei does not have happy memories of their last time there, but it is scandalous that they prefer to carry on seeing students miss out on lessons through strikes than attempt to compromise with our very reasonable demands. We are always ready to negotiate!