Seven union members working as dispatched ALTs at Kyoto Prefectural High Schools carried out a strike against the dispatch company Altia Central from 12 to 19 November, demanding a wage increase and improvements to their working conditions. As a result, they won a monthly wage increase of 30,000 yen and a bonus increase of 60,000 yen. In addition, they launched a signature campaign directed at the Kyoto Prefectural Board of Education, demanding direct employment. On 22 December, they submitted 1,204 signatures of support to the Kyoto Prefectural Board of Education. However, the struggle is still ongoing. 

How the Struggle Began 

This struggle by dispatched ALTs at Kyoto Prefectural High Schools began with a labour consultation received in March 2024 from a single ALT. Needless to say, it was an appeal describing the severe situation faced by dispatched ALTs. However, we did not take action immediately. First, we focused on securing employment, accurately understanding the situation, and finding comrades. From our past experience, we knew that careful preparation was essential in order to resolve the issues faced by ALTs. 

Making the Campaign Public 

After a certain period of preparation, around October last year, the General Union began its organised efforts. We first started holding regular meetings with union members to share information and discuss strategy. Then, on 9 December 2024, together with a union membership notification, we sent a request entitled “Request for Discussions Toward the Direct Employment of Union Members” to the Kyoto Prefectural Board of Education, thereby making our efforts public. 

Building Political and Union Support 

Soon after the New Year, on 6 January 2025, we sent a “Request for the Improvement of Treatment for Dispatched Assistant Language Teachers” to all members of the Kyoto Prefectural Assembly. At the same time, we held discussions with the Kyoto Prefectural Board of Education. In the course of this process, we were contacted by the Kyoto Prefectural Assembly group of the Japanese Communist Party, who said they would like to hear more details about the situation. We were also introduced to the Kyoto Prefectural High School Teachers and Staff Union. 

Change of Dispatch Company and Deteriorating Conditions 

In March of this year, a bidding process was held for the selection of the dispatch company, and Altia Central won the contract. At first, the union members were pleased that Altiahad won the bid, because two years earlier Altia’s wages had been 240,000 yen per month with a bonus of 180,000 yen. However, the working conditions that were presented showed a significant downgrade: a monthly wage of 210,000 yen and a bonus of only 60,000 yen. Because the contract was presented at the end of March, the members had no choice but to sign in order to protect their employment and livelihoods. From that point, preparations for the present struggle began. 

Organising as the Key Factor 

That is the outline of events. The most important point in this series of initiatives was that purposeful and conscious organising efforts were carried out continuously. First, the initialconsultation was followed by individual organising training aimed at organisation-building. Through this process, after the dispatch company changed, the union members themselves organised the newly hired ALTs. This ultimately culminated in a strike by seven union members. 

Looking Ahead 

There are 20,000 ALTs working in public schools across Japan. Our union has more than 140 ALT members nationwide. Through this experience and further organising efforts, we will move forward with initiatives at boards of education across the country to improve working conditions, particularly to achieve significant wage increases and to demand the abolition of dispatched ALTs in favour of direct employment.