I first came from Manila in 1986, to be a dancer. I began dating one
of my Japanese customers, and we had a child and got married.
When my child got older he began working part time at a nearby factory.
However, at that factory there was a plague of racism.
Simply because of a difference in skin color or nationality,
having your wages improperly reduced, having to work for extremely low
wages, or not getting paid on time were all extremely common.
I made up my mind to join the FC Union; they went to the company and
communicated my thoughts and opinions to them. From that moment
the company’s attitude changeddramatically: his wages increased,
and the paychecks now come to me on time, without fail.
With FC Union’s help, my family is living happily.
Thank you so much to everyone at FC Union!
I became part of FC Union because of a problem with my salary.
I was receiving much less than employees who had joined the
company at the same time I did.When I complained to my superiors
about it, I was told “it’s because you’re a foreigner, in particular
you’re one of those Filipinos who can’t read kanji.”
“Even though I work harder than everyone else?”
There was something so empty and sad about that, I cried every day.
When courage had returned to me, I joined the FC Union group that
I’d seen in passing on Facebook. What I learned was that the
legitimate legal opinion in Japan is, no matter where in the world
I came from, I have rights as a laborer!
In 1995 I moved to Japan from Davao as a performer. The first place was in Nagano.
However, the promotion company was caught sending performers to places they didn’t have permission to work in,
and as a result I was forced to return to the Philippines. When I came back to Japan,
it was to Tokyo, where I lived in a dorm. Predictably, my passport was taken, and at the shop I was punished frequently.
I have nothing but awful memories from that time.
In 2004 I married a Japanese person, and last year, 2013, I was granted permanent resident status. However,
while working at a Philippine pub, my paychecks were late seemingly every month; and on top of that,
despite the promises made to me when I started, my pay was less than half of what I thought it would be. However,
I looked up FC Union on Facebook, and while at first I couldn’t believe it,
they went with me to the shop where I worked and negotiated with the owner.
They got me overtime pay from the past two years,
totaling ¥1,500,00; the difference between my promised salary
and what I actually received, totaling ¥2,200,000;and the tax and social insurance returns
I was supposed to have received by law, totaling ¥1,300,000; all-in-all FC Union got me
¥5,100,000. At first I simply couldn’t believe it, but it was true!
Ever since, no matter where I work, I make sure FC Union staff does my contracts with me.
Of course, we can solve
any sexual harassment problems.
If you are a foreigner living in Japan
there are no stipulations on joining, and of
course Japanese people are welcome too.
There are none whatsoever.
With regards to joining, the first thing to do is please, contact us.
FC Union was set up following Japanese labor law, and operates with the
recognition and authorization of the country’s Central Labor Board.
The activities of unions are protected by the Japanese constitution.
Unfavorable or unfair treatment, due to involvement with union activities,
being a union member, trying to join a union or create a union is an unfair
labor practice. Preventing an individual from joining a union or forcing him
or her to leave a union is also an unfair labor practice. Furthermore,
even asking an employee if he or she is a union member isan unfair labor practice.
Solving the various problems of the workplace is extremely difficult for one person
working alone. But by joining FC Union we can gather those individuals, and with
their combined might we can solve those problems.
As a foreigner working in Japan, by giving help to our friends in need,
and getting help when we need it, we support each other, creating an even more
powerful force, which can resolve many of the problems
we face and protect our rights.
Please, join the Fortune Community Foreigner Labor Union,
and let’s work to solve our problems together.
Group Name | FC Union |
Activities | ・labor consultation ・improving labor conditions ・abolishing prejudice and racism ・protecting human rights |
Address |
|
info@fc-union.org |
|
Hours | Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00 |