Missing Pension Contributions Can Cost You for Life
When people think about social insurance (shakai hoken, or 社会保険), they usually think about health insurance or the deductions from…
Understanding Japan’s Pension System: Are You Building Your Retirement Security?
Japan’s pension system is designed around one basic idea: people build pension coverage throughout much of their adult lives so…
Retirement in Japan: Understanding Your Pension and Planning for the Future
The pension you receive in retirement is being built throughout your working life. Knowing how the system works, when you…
Member’s Story – Unlimited Term Contract Success
When I turned 60, I was sent a letter informing me that I was to be retired on my birthday…
Denied UTC—”You Were Never an Employee”
When Gary* decided to apply for an unlimited-term contract (UTC), he thought the process would be straightforward. For several years,…
Member Voices: A Successful Conversion
I was very interested in an unlimited term contract (UTC) because I’ve been learning about it from General Union for…
Sign Up for New Individual Organising Training, Version 5: Organising Starts Where You Work
Our Individual Organising Training is now on Version 5, and this time we’ve made a significant change. The basic purpose…
Why Is Unlimited-Term Conversion Different at Universities?
For most fixed-term workers in Japan, the right to request an unlimited-term contract (UTC) begins after five years of continuous…
Member Voices: Unreasonable Deadlines – Denied!
My latest interaction with a university I have worked part-time at for approximately 20 years involves the survey they send…
Universities Are Downsizing. Workers Shouldn’t Be Paying the Price
Japan’s universities are entering a difficult period. As the birthrate falls, so does the number of university-aged students. In the…
Protecting Core Conditions
A common question from members who have converted to an unlimited-term contract is whether their employer can now change their…
From Annual Uncertainty to Greater Stability
For many workers in Japan, every contract renewal brings the same question: Will I be offered another contract when this…
Stop Wage Theft: Why We’re Doing This Together
You stayed late again. You worked through your break again. You answered emails at home, marked papers after hours, showed…
General Union Member Sues Interac! You May Be Able to Recover Yours, Too
On June 25, the first hearing was held at the Tokyo District Court in a lawsuit against Interac over its…
When Things Go Wrong – Part 2
Small Overpayments = Big Headache A group of teachers were union members working at a university. Over a series of…