Berlitz Teachers Union Demo at Benesse Tokyo Office 4/4/08

Begunto, the Berlitz General Union Tokyo demonstrated in front of Benesse, their parent company at lunch time to let fellow coworkers know that subsidiaries in the language sector of Benesse are not treated equally as their Japanese counterparts at Benesse. "16 years, no base up and no bonus" was the focus of the demo. Typically in Japan, Japanese companies offer 4-5 months salary to workers as a bonus, thus a 16 or 17 month salary package annually. Begunto asks for a month's bonus and a base up 4.6% across the board for all workers, not just the 10% of the teachers previously offered a 1.3% base up finally after 16 years. (Offer was rejected by Union)
For the past month the Union has been striking key schools at very noticeable times. Students and the general public have become aware and are supportive taking pamphlets and in some cases actually offering to help distribute fliers with striking teachers

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Berlitz
• Begunto
• Benesse
• Demo
• Union
• Japan
• Eikaiwa
• English
• Schools
• Teaching
• Base
• Up
• Bonus
• Industrial
• Action
• Strike

[cellphonetrickery]

2005 salary freeze- Begunto struck & got a pay thaw for ALL instructors. (The parent company claims 5 years record profits in 2008 See Benesse site investor relations. Makes sense?)

In 1992 Berlitz Japan increased contract lesson burdens 30 lessons to 40 - de facto 33 % increase in required availability w/ little or no comp. The Union fought 8 years to return to 30 unit/week.

A new 40 unit contract teacher gets the same unit pay as back in the mid 1980s. The Union is fighting against it.