The General Union has been raising safety issues with Gaba Corporation for many years, and this is a concern more than ever since the start of last year, when the COVID-19 pandemic began.
This pandemic is not over and is getting worse in Japan. In all of 2020, Japan’s official death toll was 3,459. It is only May 2021 and there have been over 8000 (official) deaths this year in Japan.
It is impossible to social distance inside a Gaba booth, where clients and instructors are speaking in a place with poor ventilation, usually about 90cm from each other. Wearing masks is not enough especially as masks do not block all viral particles. Wearing only a plastic face shield in online lessons creates risks for others in the Learning Studio.
As General Union members at GABA our job is to reduce COVID risk and therefore reduce the risk of death or serious illness. We want to keep ALL GABA employees and clients as safe as possible.
Every face-to-face Gaba lesson ignores the “Three Cs” the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare warns about:
- Closed spaces with poor ventilation
- Crowded places with many people nearby
- Close-contact settings, such as close-range conversations
Therefore, we are demanding the following from GABA – that they improve safety measures, not penalize instructors financially for protecting their health, and be more transparent with information.
This is best for everyone at Gaba – clients, LS staff, instructors, and the company itself.
There have been many COVID-19 cases at Gaba already, and two clusters so far. Considering this, we want the company to take this pandemic as seriously as possible.
We submitted our most recent demands for improvement on April 23rd, and will be speaking to the company on May 26th and hope to let you all know about our progress in reducing COVID risk at GABA.
Gaba April 2021 Demands for Collective Bargaining
Gaba 2021 年春の要求及び団体交渉申し入れ書
1. Instructors should wear masks at all times in the Learning Studio, other than when they are eating.
講師は、ラーニングスタジオ内では食事の時以外には常にマスクを着用すべきです。
2. Please have all vending machines selling drinks in reception areas turned off or removed. Instruct all clients and instructors to not drink in lessons.
受付の近くにある飲み物の自動販売機は全部電源を切るか撤去してください。全ての 顧客と講師にレッスン中には飲み物を飲まないように指示してください。
3. LS staff should immediately correct clients in the waiting area who are not wearing masks correctly.
LS スタッフは、待合室でマスクを正しく着用していない顧客に対しては直ちに正しく 着用させるようにしてください。
4. Both clients and instructors should wear non-woven masks in the LS.
LS では、顧客も講師も不織布マスクを着用するようにしてください。
5. All LS windows and doors that can be opened to the outside should be open at all times except for when there is rain or strong wind.
LS の外に面した窓やドアは、雨や強風の時を除いて常に開けておくようにしてくださ い。
6. Gaba should install HEPA air filters in all LSs and they should be cleaned and serviced according to the manufacturer requirements.
全ての LS に HEPA エアフィルターを設置し、これらのエアフィルターはメーカーの 指示に従って清掃と管理を行なってください。
7. Gaba will make sure the air conditioners and fans are cleaned on a monthly basis.
Gaba に、エアコンとファンが毎月清掃されていることを確認するようにしてください
8. Check instructor temperatures at the front desk and if they are outside the normal range send them home.
フロントデスクで講師の体温をチェックし、体温が通常の範囲を超えていたら帰宅さ せるようにしてください。
9. Gaba should keep rules in place to limit socializing and crowding in break rooms until the COVID-19 pandemic is officially confirmed as finished by the World Health Organization.
新型コロナウィルス感染の終息を WHO(世界保健機構)公式に発表するまでは、休憩 室での懇談や密集を制限するルールを維持するようにしてください。
10. Clearly and directly tell all instructors in writing they will not be punished for cancelling or not submitting lessons, such as with unbuckling, de-belting or anything else.
全ての講師に、レッスンをキャンセルしたり提出しなかったりしても、アンバックリン グやディベルティングなどの罰を受けないことを書面で明確かつ直接に伝えてくださ い。
11. Gaba has a policy to pay and send home instructors who have been in close contact with people with COVID. Inform all instructors of this policy via GFI.
Gaba 社には型コロナウィル陽性が確認された人の濃厚接触者は帰宅を命じられ給料 は支払われるという方針があります。この方針を GFI で全講師に周知しください。
12. Gaba should post in English about all COVID-19 cases using the GEB system at the same time they post them at https://www.gaba.co.jp/emergency/ Gaba 社は、新型コロナウィルス感染事例の情報を https://www.gaba.co.jp/emergency に掲載していますが、同時に GEB システム にも掲載してください。
13. Make GFI and Japanese public website posts about all cases within 24 hours. The English information should be the same as the information given in Japanese on Gaba’s website.
24 時間以内に全ての新型コロナウィルス感染事例について GFI と日本語公式ウェブ サイトに掲載してください。英語の情報は、Gaba 社の日本語ウェブサイトに掲載さ れている情報と同じにしてください。
14. Share the complete text of the “Protective Measures Policy” with instructors and publicly post the complete text within each LS so instructors are aware of the rules.
「防護対策方針」の全文を講師と共有し、各 LS 内に全文を掲示して、講師がルール を認識できるようにしてください。
15. Give instructors the choice to only accept online lessons.
講師がオンラインレッスンのみを受け付ける選択ができるようにしてください。
16. Give instructors the option to work from home.
講師に在宅勤務の選択肢を与えてください。