Job Discussion Forums

[Keith_Alan_W]

Does anyone know what rights foriegn English Teachers have in Japan?

Global English School, Matsusaka, has put me in a bad position, fireing me without due cause.

What can I do? Who should I be taliking to? What "evidence" do I need to take legal action? (I know that in the US, the fact that the school never signed the contract, doesn't mean that they can't be prosecuted for failure to fulfill a business agreement).

Thanks

[PAULH]

[Keith_Alan_W]

Thanks Paul,

I guess I didn't do my homework before coming here. I've never heard about a certificate of eligibility before now.

So I guess she never planned on employing me in the first place.

[PAULH]

[Gordon]

I feel sorry for you Keith. It is pretty hard to know all the labour rules ahead of time, but unfortunatley ignorance is no excuse. What is your next step? If you have some savings, go to a bigger city and try to look for a job there where someone will sponsor you.

[Keith_Alan_W]

My next step.....

Well if I could get away with it, I'd torch the school... but I guess that's probably a bit rash. There doesn't seem to be any jobs left here in Japan, or they require I travel to different cities for interviews (something I can't afford). So I think I'll file a complaint and go back to Germany and try to get my position back at the University for the upcoming semester.

[PAULH]

[yamanote senbei]

Keith, all workers in Japan are protected whether they are legal workers or not. Contact the union in your area: http://nugw.org

[Keith_Alan_W]

Ok, I'll try the workers union, but I'm worried about being deported.

[yamanote senbei]

You might want to try one of the migrant worker unions then. They have more experience dealing with no visa issues.

[PAULH]

[D.O.S.]

[Keith_Alan_W]

Thanks for all the response thus far. I am holding off on making an official complaint as I'd like to find a new employer first.

As far as retribution for unethical business practices on the part of private schools is concerned, has anyone got any advice for me?

I had a similar experience to this back in 2001 in Shanghai. The co. there acted in much the same way, but the difference was I had 3 government officials on my side which led to me showing up at the company`s Song Jiang office with a lawyer from the Shanghai tax dept. who threatened to investigate them if they did not pay me roughly twice what the owed me This worked quite well, but unfortunately I have not met high ranking Japanese officials, and I guess Guanxi doesn't work here anyway, so　I don't know what I could do to procure such favours here.

So I have a different strategy to get back at GES. Do you guys think it would be a good idea to make anti-GES advertisements in Japanese and post them near the GES schools and at the local railway stations where GES does most of its advertising? Or perhaps I could take out classified ads in the local papers deriding the school, its boss, and teachers as being a bunch of unprofessional social misfits. I know this amounts to little more than name calling, but the point is to negatively affect their business, so they in effect have to bear the some of the cost of the misfortune they have forced me to deal with. Or perhaps I could throw rocks through their windows late at night Just joking, but nothing is beneath me if I have the right reasons, so what can I do?

[shuize]

Deleted.

[Keith_Alan_W]

Thanks Shuize.

All fixed.

Was in a rush, only one hour free internet at the cultural centre.