After many years of a pay freeze, members have resubmitted demands for a 100YEN per hour pay increase. As the company explained at the last round of negotiations; other staff have also had no pay increase but are able to obtain higher pay through promotion. Since our members are able to be promoted, members believe that a 100YEN per hour pay increase is very reasonable even in light of falling enrollment.

Union members are also demanding the end to a retirement system that lets teachers continue working past sixty but cuts their wages and forces them onto subcontracting at 65.

The General Union is not in favour of a “work until you die” policy, but in light of the current unfairness in the pension system where part time workers were never allowed to join the more lucrative Kosei Kenkin pension system (except a few that the union won it for at Panasonic), teachers have no choice but to continue working. Members’ ages should have nothing to do with pay as they are doing the exact same job as their younger colleagues.

Collective bargaining is set for 24 October.