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| ==Criticisms== | ==Criticisms== | ||
| The union has been criticized for |
The union has been criticized from ] for pursuing the fight for social insurance coverage for migrant workers in Japan - the shakai hoken (National Health Insurance) issue. An editorial in an anti-union publication ] argues the union's campaign for recognition of social insurance rights for non-Japanese workers. | ||
| The actual number of the union's members is disputed. The union itself does not publicly disclose the number. | |||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
Revision as of 08:15, 26 October 2006
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 claims a history almost as long as that of legalized organised labour in Japan.
The union also claims to have 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).
Criticisms
The union has been criticized from management for pursuing the fight for social insurance coverage for migrant workers in Japan - the shakai hoken (National Health Insurance) issue. An editorial in an anti-union publication Metropolis argues the union's campaign for recognition of social insurance rights for non-Japanese workers.