The General Union Boards of Education Campaign is directly behind this shift back towards direct employment at the Hirakata BoE. Hirakata was one of the cities we reported to the Osaka Labour Bureau over the legality of contracting and demands were sent to Hirakata from the General Union demanding a return to direct hire. This BoE is now in the process of contacting companies that sent ALTs to public schools in Hirakata to ask them to inform the ALTs involved to apply for directly hired positions in the city. Hirakata BoE anticipates that they will not meet their hiring needs and are accepting applications from people other than dispatched ALTs. As the General Union has been the major force behind this positive return to direct hire we encourage interested union members to apply.