Category Archives: Dispatch

Men born in late 1970s tend to stay in nonregular jobs: gov’t paper

July 8, 2011 in Dispatch, News, Wages

Men born in the latter half of the 1970s tend to be mired in nonregular jobs compared with those of other generations as work status such as temporary employment has spread since the 1990s, the labor ministry said in an annual report on labor economy released Friday.

Chinese exodus hurts industries dependent on foreign trainees, interns

June 1, 2011 in Dispatch, Immigration, News, Trainees

“If the expenses for (going to China to) recruit and train are added to their wages, Chinese interns now cost more than Japanese workers,” the president said. “I intend to do away with accepting interns over the next three to five years.”

American teacher in Sendai stays in Japan to help with volunteer efforts

April 27, 2011 in ALT, Dispatch, News

However, many ALTs have not stayed behind. According to the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR), which every year mediates the contracts of around 4,000 ALTs at local authorities around the country, 44 ALTs quit their jobs after the earthquake.

Japan launches primary push to teach English

March 9, 2011 in ALT, Dispatch, News

Compulsory foreign language lessons start next month for all 10- to 12-year-olds, raising hopes among educators and industry leaders of ending a decades-long ‘English deficit’ With just weeks to go before English becomes a compulsory subject at Japan’s primary schools, doubts surround the boldest attempt in decades to improve the country’s language skills, and its [...]

Byzantine temp rules need permanent fix

March 8, 2011 in ALT, Dispatch, News

Who tells workers what to do, therefore, is a critical starting point for a great deal of Japanese employment law and regulation. Imagine you are in a fast-food restaurant ordering a hamburger. So long as you are just looking to pay ¥500 for a hamburger and a side of fries, you are a client and [...]

ＡＬＴ：４月から派遣契約で　チームティーチング可能に－－柏市教委　／千葉

January 25, 2011 in ALT, Dispatch, News

柏市立の小中学校で英語を教える外国語指導助手（ＡＬＴ）について、厚生労働省千葉労働局が違法な「偽装請負」と認定した問題を受け、柏市教委は新年度の４月から、日本人教師が外国人講師に直接指示しても法的な問題が起きないよう派遣契約と直接雇用に切り替える方針を決めた。

Companies going all-out in English

November 20, 2010 in Dispatch, Eikaiwa, News

Enhancing employee English-language skills has become a high-priority management challenge for Japanese corporations, regardless of their size and industry. This is especially true for companies whose survival hinges on developing new customers or clients in foreign markets. They are focusing in particular on fast-growing Asian economies, where English is becoming the common means of communication. [...]

Zenkoku Ippan Tokyo General Union Sues Max Ali For Unfair Labor Practices

October 8, 2010 in Action, ALT, Announcements, Dispatch, News

Today at the Tokyo Labor Commission, Zenkoku Ippan Tokyo General Union sued Max Ali (AKA Muhammed Ali Muhammed Mustafa, Japan Advanced Labor Agency, et alii) for Unfair Labor Practices under the Labor Union Act (Act No. 174 of June 1, 1949) for repeatedly refusing collective bargaining with the union and for failing to pay wages [...]

小学校英語どうなる：打ち合わせは「偽装請負」？　指導助手活用できず　業務委託、派遣で問題

September 16, 2010 in ALT, Dispatch, News

目の前にＡＬＴ（外国語指導助手）がいても、教諭は授業の打ち合わせができない。授業中の指示も禁止。すべてＡＬＴを派遣している請負業者とファクスなどを使ったやりとりでしか伝えられない－－。

Japanese women stand low on corporate ladder 25 yrs after law change

August 30, 2010 in Discrimination, Dispatch, News

Twenty five years have passed since the Equal Employment Opportunity Law for Men and Women was enacted to fight gender inequality at the workplace. By this time, people might think that a horde of college-educated women are calling the shots as corporate managers. But the latest Kyodo News survey shows that is hardly the case. [...]