From Zenroren Jouenal (January 2008)

We are not alone!

Young performing artists and hairdressers fight in union

　“We are not alone.” ? Young workers are waging struggles against unfair practices such as forced overtime work without pay and sudden pay cuts without prior explanation. They just want to be paid for the work and to work with in safe working conditions. Their efforts stand out among young people who are fighting social disparities and poverty, and solidarity with them is increasing.

Young hairdressers’ union wins extra compensation for overtime work

　Yanagi Katuya, a 23-year-old hairdresser, is working for “Ash”, a well-known beauty salon chain that has several outlets in the Tokyo metropolitan area. He got a full-time position there two and half years ago and was forced to work more than 12 hours a day but he was not paid for overtime work after 8 hours. Moreover, the company deducts from his salary expenses without explanation.

　Yanagi alone protested about the mistreatment of workers. The boss promised him a back pay for his overtime, adding that he must not tell anyone about this payment. But he rejected the offer because he thought all workers there should be treated equally.

　He learned that there is a union based on individual membership and decided to join the Tokyo Contingent Young Workers’ Union, a labor union of part-timers, temporary workers, and other contingent workers.

　Yanagi and his union members took to the streets and used various occasions, including the competition for cut techniques as well as rallies, to expose the beauty industry’s abuses of young workers as disposable workers.

　After tenacious collective bargaining with management, they won 48 million yen in back pay for overtime work.

Acrobatic stage performers achieve improvement in working conditions

　Acrobatic stage “Muscle Musical” performer formed their union, the “Muscle Musical” branch of the Federation of Cinema and Theatrical Workers Unions (Eien-Roren) affiliated with the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) to fight against arbitrary wage cuts and to win better working conditions.

　The “Muscle Musical” management treats workers as self-employed so that it can refuse to pay them compensation for overtime work. The stage performers were not enrolled in the insurance against work-related accidents.

　After 6 months of struggle, during which management tried to force union members to give up struggling and even excluded from stage performance, the union had negotiations with management. At the negotiating table, management apologized union members for the unfair labor practices against them and agreed to pay them for unpaid wages. The company also promised to improve conditions under a contract including insurance.

　But the union accepted the condition that the contract would not be renewed for the three union members who had been barred from the stage.

　“Muschle Musical” Branch Chair Isomae Masaaki said, “I am satisfied with the agreement. During the struggle, we were worried about the future. But we have been encouraged by many people, including fans and supporters.”

　Vice-chairperson Fukazawa Hideyuki proudly stated that their struggle exposed a hole of unclear relationship between management and performers in the show biz industry and declared, “For those who support us, I’ll be back as a performer.”

Young workers shout “Treat us with dignity!”

　Tokyo Young Contingent Workers’ Union Secretary General Kawazoe Makoto says, “Young workers always get angry when they are denied the basic rights. The task now is for us to find ways to build solidarity of young workers who are isolated and forced to fight by themselves.” (Zenroren, January 15, 2008)