Unhappy with the lack of proper health and pension rights for foreign workers in Japan, General Union members voted almost unanimously to adopt a resolution regarding Shakai Hoken (SH - Employees Health and Pension Insurance).
The resolution calls on the union to deal with the following points:
To raise demands to all Eikaiwa employers regarding SH.
To campaign around SH so that workers, especially foreign workers, are aware of the benefits of SH.
To raise demands to the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Labour to ease the requirements for enrollment so that part timers become eligible for SH. Many union members, especially those at universities and high schools often have many part time jobs but not enough hours at any one school to qualify.
To demand that the government make a larger part of the pension payments refundable to foreign workers when they leave Japan.
In short; for compliance with the present law, and reform for a better system.
Big Lies from the Big Eikaiwas
Big Lie #1 - It's not mandatory.
According to the Social Insurance Agency, it is compulsory for the employer to enroll anyone who works three-quarters of full-timers' hours based on job classification. This means that 100% of NOVA, GEOS, and AEON full time teachers must be enrolled (since they work over thirty hours per week). Also, since a full timer can be any number of hours, ECC teachers who have 29.5 hour contracts and are called full timers are eligible. Simply put, if you work 'full-time', you are basically eligible. We believe that even MG teachers at Berlitz would be eligible even though they only work 23.5 hours per week.
Big Lie #2 - It's a waste of money for foreigners because of the pension.
Due to the fact that most foreign workers (90%), especially Eikaiwa teachers, return home within three years, most of the employee's pension premiums will be returned. The only party that doesn't get the money back is the employer. Let's face it, it's expensive for the employer, and this is why most teachers are not enrolled.
Big Lie #3 - Teachers can get it only if they apply.
There is no application process: the employer must enroll you if you meet the requirements.
Shakai Hoken (SH) and You - What you need to know
Shakai Kenko Hoken (Employees' Health Insurance)
Kosei Nenkin (Employees' Pension Insurance)
Eligibility: You should be automatically enrolled by your employer if you;
A. Have a contract of two months or longer.
B. Are employed by a legally registered company.
C. Work about 75% of the hours of a full timer in the same job as you. This is the most difficult part of the equation as full time can mean many things. Please consult the union to find out about your eligibility.
Cost: 82/1000 of salary paid 50/50 employee/employer.
Eikaiwa Teacher pays: ¡ï250,000 X 41/000 = ¡ï10,250
Cost: 135.8/1000 of salary paid 50/50 employee/employer.
Eikaiwa Teacher pays: ¡ï250,000 X 67.9/1000 = ¡ï16,975
Medical, drug, and dental costs. 70% of medical costs to a maximum of ¡ï67,000 per month after which 100% of the medical costs are covered. Also, when this upper limit is exceeded four times in one year, the fourth payment is ¡ï37,200.
Injury or sickness resulting in a loss of wages. 60% of lost wages due to sickness or injury. There is a one and one half year limit to claiming this for any one single illness or injury. This IS NOT available under the National Health Insurance Scheme (Kokumin Kenko Hoken).
Childbirth. ¡ï300,000 is paid after the birth of each child.
Maternity Leave. When you take this leave, you are eligible for 60% of your wages for 42 days prior to the birth and 56 days after the birth.
Death: A lump sum will be paid to the person taking care of the funeral arrangements. Also, ¡ï100,000 is paid in the case of death of a dependent.
Pension: After having paid into the pension system for 25 years, the insured person, after reaching 65 years of age will be eligible for a pension until their death. The 25 year period of payments is not always truly 25 years. Kara Kikan (which counts your years outside of Japan) affects your right to receive a pension without 25 years of payment.
Disability: If you are not able to work due to disability, you will receive either the Disability Employee's Pension or the Disability Allowance.
Class one disability: ¡ï1,005,300 per year.
Class two disability: ¡ï804,200 per year.
Death: A survivor's pension is paid to surviving dependents. Example, a surviving spouse with one child would receive ¡ï1,035,600 per year.
Lump sum withdrawal. A teacher who is enrolled in SH for three years or less, will be able to claim about 85% of the pension money back after leaving Japan (call the union for more information).
How the Major Eikaiwas treat SH
NOVA
Working Hours: 37.5 per week
Eligibility: All full time teachers and part timers working 75% of 37.5 hours per week.
Comment: NOVA is in violation of the SH laws. Their current position is that all union members can join.
Status The union has now submitted demands to NOVA for full compliance.
GEOS
Working Hours: 40 per week
Eligibility: All full time teachers and part timers working thirty hours per week.
Comment: GEOS is in violation of the SH laws.
Status The union will submit demands to GEOS for full compliance.
AEON
Working Hours: 36 per week.
Eligibility: All full time teachers and part timers working 75% of 36 hours per week.
Comment: AEON is in violation of the SH laws.
Status The union will submit demands to AEON for full compliance.
ECC
Working Hours: Majority of teachers are on 29.5 hour contracts and are labelled full time.
Eligibility: All full time teachers and part timers working 75% of 29.5 hours are eligible.
Comment: ECC believes that since teachers are not working 30 hours, there is no need to enrol.
Status The union has submitted demands to ECC for full compliance.
