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Revision as of 15:16, 26 October 2006 by 64.180.92.22 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The National Union of General Workers (NUGW) is the largest trade union for foreign and migrant workers in Japan with offices in Fukuoka, Osaka and Tokyo. The union has a history almost as long as that of legalized organised labour in Japan.
The union claims a membership numbering several thousand workers throughout Japan, and that about a quarter of these members are foreign nationals. According to the union, most non-Japanese members are employed in Eikaiwa (English-language teaching in Japan) and English language newspapers, while many Japanese members are employed in the publishing industry. NUGW represents branch unions at dozens of English language schools including Nova, GEOS, Berlitz, ECC and Interac.
Activities
The union engages in strikes, rallies and leafletings, filing injunctions and arguing cases at the Labour Commission and Tokyo District Court on issues such as the non-enrollment of employees into National Health Insurance (shakai hoken), illegal outsourcing of Assistant Language Teachers by public schools (gyomu itaku), and unfair dismissals due to one-year contracts.
Representatives of the National Union of General Workers Tokyo South have served as reporters to the United Nations rapporteur on the Committee to Eliminate Racial Discrimination; the General Union (Osaka) has official consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Recognition
The migrant worker union movement has gained recognition over the years as being on the leading edge of progressive change in Japan. As in most countries, migrant workers face the worst of circumstances since they may be easily deported back to their home countries. NUGW, Zentoitsu and the Kanagawa City Union have been recognized by the union movement and the Solidarity with Migrant Workers Japan as the standard bearers for worker rights in the manufacturing and service industries not just for migrant workers, but for workers in general in Japan.
Criticism
The union has been criticized by management interests for pursuing the fight for social insurance coverage for migrant workers in Japan - the shakai hoken issue. Publicly, this consists of a single comment by a woman incognito in an pro-corporate publication Metropolis which is a part of Virgin Group - owned by controversial price-fixing CEO Richard Branson.