A recent victory at a Kansai-based university of foreign studies shows the power of unlimited term contracts in protecting members’ jobs. When the university tried to halve a member’s teaching load – first during the pandemic and again this year – they insisted their authority over curriculum decisions trumped any contract rights. The university maintained they could freely reduce classes regardless of contract status. 

The union pushed back hard on this logic. Our position was clear: reducing classes means reducing income, which constitutes a change in working conditions. Under Japanese labor law, such changes cannot be made unilaterally during an unlimited term contract without the worker’s consent. Despite initial resistance, the university backed down both times, restoring the full teaching load. 

This victory doesn’t mean every case will be resolved so smoothly. Right now at Osaka Metropolitan University, a major battle is brewing over class reductions. Even with unlimited term contracts in place, the university is aggressively pushing changes, setting up what could become an intense labor dispute. The union is preparing for a serious fight to protect members’ rights. 

The union fights for all members, regardless of contract status. We firmly believe that no teacher, whether on limited or unlimited term contracts, should face arbitrary class reductions without proper negotiation. However, unlimited term contracts provide crucial legal leverage that simply doesn’t exist with limited term contracts. This legal backing strengthens our position significantly when challenging unilateral changes to working conditions. 

The message is clear: While having an unlimited term contract doesn’t guarantee you won’t face attempts to reduce your teaching load, it gives the union much stronger ammunition to fight back. When you’re eligible for conversion to an unlimited term contract, take it. It could make all the difference in protecting your job security.