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Willy_In_Japan
Joined: 20 Jul 2004
Posts: 329
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 Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 6:57 am Post subject: |
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This information comes from an ALT working for a different company where Heart ALT's were moved in to replace JETs in August.
He works for a different company, and fully expects his BOE to go with Heart come April.
He said that the Heart ALTs reported no transport fees and no August pay coupled with a very low monthly rate.......all I know, is that the English teachinng industry is going to hell in a hand basket. Four years ago, the yen was worth more and there was a 250,000 Yen minimum wage...I never expected to be making LESS money after spending four years here. |
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Quibby84
Joined: 10 Aug 2006
Posts: 643
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 12:45 pm Post subject: |
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| yeah, Heart does not pay very well...we are considering other schools but we do have an interview there next thursday. |
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wangtesol
Joined: 24 May 2005
Posts: 280
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| Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 4:29 am Post subject: how do you unions work |
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| How does the union work? |
It is a great question. Unfortunately no one has written a book on it, but it is very different from how US unions work.
For starters, the union you would join in Japan is more like a mutual aid society. You get out of it what you put into it. It is definately not a legal aid office or to be treated like a service that you pay for.
But anyways, if you get three people to sign up with the National Union of General Workers Tokyo South (near where Heart is located) then you now are a branch union and are covered by Trade Union Law and can negotiate a collective agreement. An employer has to, by law, meet with you (and the union organizers) and negotiate work conditions such as holidays, pay, insurance etc.. (whatever you want).
If Heart refuses to negotiate, then you can legally go on strike and picket the Heart office or the school or the Board of Education.
When you are covered by Trade Union Law you legally have the right to collective bargaining, striking and organizing other union members. Thus, if you are organizing by trying to get other teachers to join the union and Heart says, "Hey I cannot believe you doing that" (or any anti-union remark) you now have access to the Labor Relation Board and can sue him for harassment of union memebers.
Striking is very different in Japan than in the US. Often a single person will go on strike for 15 minutes. The notice of the strike action only need be faxed in by the union office staff to the school stipulating who, when and where the strike is taking place (and they need only fax in the notice 1 minute before the strike). Then you put on the union armband to signify that you are on strike; you stand out in the hall-way of the school or where ever and you can freely discuss why you are on strike with students if you want etc... It may be only 15 minutes or it could be the entire day.
There is some info at National Union of General Workers Tokyo South website...
http://www.nambufwc.org
But better info at their sister union in Osaka website with a good FAQ on Trade Union Law
http://www.generalunion.org
Thousands of teachers before you have joined the union; thousands more will after you as well |
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wangtesol
Joined: 24 May 2005
Posts: 280
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| Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 4:55 am Post subject: |
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The Heart info on health insurance and workers compensation (the last paragraph of that post) looks accurate but not complete. Are they saying the will enroll you and pay their share of the monthly fee?
Like others have mentioned though, companies that hire ALTs are all shadey. They are very insecure jobs since the Board of Education may cancel contracts in March or August to go with a cheaper ALT company. So, you might have a job for 12 months but your partner for only 8 months. And the layoff will be very sudden if it does happen - usually only a couple weeks notice since the Board of Education often make their decisions at the last minute.
You should be making 250,000 yen/month in Japan. That is a benchmark set by the Ministry of Justice for immigrants (but it is not a law). Someone calculated that Heart would only be paying 190,000 yen/month which is almost unheard of. The big conversation schools and most small schools will not cheat you like this.
ALT companies do like to cheat couples by paying them far less than the 250,000 standard because they know you will be calculating the pay as 2 times 190,000... 380,000 yen. If you let them cheat you now, they will cheat you again. Wakabayashi could be thinking that he could make one of you just part-time and you'd both still work for him.
Why should you stand for being paid less than the standard 250,000 just because you are a couple? |
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Willy_In_Japan
Joined: 20 Jul 2004
Posts: 329
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| Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 2:53 pm Post subject: |
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I don't think the 190,000 yen a month number came from Heart because they were a couple....I heard that number through a friend of mine who multiplied the Hearts ALTs monthly wage by 11 and divided by 12 to come up with a rate per month.
Now, I only recall that being the number, and I never wrote it down, so it is second hand news.
Why don't the original posters tell us if Heart pays in August and what the monthly salary is? |
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Quibby84
Joined: 10 Aug 2006
Posts: 643
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 3:37 pm Post subject: |
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| there is a huge salary matrix that goes from 250,000 yen to 180,000 yen, working the most hours and days to the least hours and days..it is somewhat confusing. |
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