Our sister union, Tokyo Nambu in Tokyo, has a branch at the British Council. On the 28 and 29 January, Tokyo Nambu union members held a weekend of action in support of their two current demands:
- Returning bonuses to contracts, and back paying the bonuses that have been withheld since the start of the pandemic in 2020.
- Ending forced retirement at 65.
Forced retirement at the age of 65 goes against Japanese government policy to allow workers who want to to continue working at least until the age of 70. Amazingly, the British Council is also breaching its own global anti-discrimination policy. On top of that, the British Council claims to follow UK law unless local law is stronger. But in the UK, the Equality Act already outlawed forced retirement over 12 years ago.
Tokyo Nambu members leafleted the Iidabashi British Council teaching centre over two days, chatting with students, parents of young learners, fellow staff and passers-by. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and several students asked how they can support our campaign.
Negotiations on the demands will continue, and Tokyo Nambu members will continue pressing for a fairer deal for all staff at the British Council Japan.
For more information or to support Tokyo Nambu members at the British Council contact nambubritishcouncil@