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Detainees staging hunger strike
A hunger strike staged by inmates at the West Japan Immigration Center [in Ibaraki, Osaka Prefecture] entered its fifth day Friday with protesters demanding improved living conditions and protection of their rights, sources said. The 70 inmates, nearly all the men held at the facility, began fasting on Monday, center officials and supporters of inmates…
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Toyota workers here get bonus
Toyota Motor Corp. workers are likely to secure bonuses equivalent to at least five months’ wages for this year, sources involved with this spring’s annual labor-management pay negotiations said Thursday. The Toyota union is seeking annual bonuses worth five months’ wages plus ¥100,000 in this year’s “shunto” talks, while management continues refusing to accept the…
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Prada accused of maltreatment
Boss wanted ‘old, fat, ugly’ out: manager A senior manager at Prada Japan has filed a legal complaint against the Italian fashion label, accusing the company of harassment and discrimination based on appearance and alleging it maltreated other employees in the past. Last May, Prada Japan CEO Davide Sesia visited some of the 40 Prada…
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70 immigration detainees on hunger strike
Fast in Osaka tied to denial of release: activists At least 70 detainees at the West Japan Immigration Control Center, which has long been criticized by human rights groups and Diet members, have been on a hunger strike since Monday, center officials and volunteers helping them confirmed Thursday. “Around 70 foreigners began a hunger strike…
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Interac and Tokai Board of Education found guilty of illegal dispatch
Cross-posted from the General Union After more than six months of union action, Interac and Tokai Board of Education have been found guilty of illegal dispatch by the Aichi Prefectural Labor Board. Watch this space – full story in the coming weeks.
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Foreigners rally over job security
Hundreds of foreign and Japanese people staged a rally Sunday in Tokyo demanding better working conditions and employment benefits for foreign residents. At the annual “March in March” event at Hibiya Park in Chiyoda Ward, Louis Carlet, deputy general secretary of the National Union of General Workers Tokyo Nambu, said foreign workers have a great…
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Cuts in national health insurance premiums for people out of work
Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Akira Nagatsuma has announced cuts in national health insurance premiums for people who have lost their jobs. Under a new system beginning in April, the yearly national health insurance premium will be decreased for people who lose their jobs, based on their yearly income. For a couple with one child…
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New relief on vanished pensions / Guidelines will allow separate records to verify missing payments
A government panel has announced new support measures for victims of the “vanished pension” scandal that will make it easier for people to verify they paid pension premiums for which records are missing, it was learned Friday. According to the new guidelines, people who have missing records for corporate employees’ pension payments will be able…
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Foreigners get nod to skip social insurance
The Immigration Bureau announced Wednesday new guidelines for foreign residents, stating that joining the social insurance system is not a requirement for renewing or changing one’s visa status. The bureau told The Japan Times on Feb. 1 that it had decided to change the wording of the new guidelines — which were originally drawn up…
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Average wages mark 1st rise in 20 months
Average monthly wages including overtime pay at companies with more than five employees rose to 273,142 yen in January, up 0.1 percent from a year earlier, marking the first yearly increase in 20 months, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said Wednesday. Meanwhile, average hours worked, including overtime and worked holidays, reached 136.7 hours per…