Shukan Gendai has taken a big swipe at Nova president Nozomu Sahashi for going into hiding and leaving everyone in the dark as to what's going on. Here's a quick-and-dirty translation of the article:
Nova at the end of its rope
On September 27, when two foreign instructors went to the Chuo Labour Standard Inspection Office in Osaka to file a complaint that the continued delay in paying instructors was in violation of the Labour Standards Law, Nova's feet were held to the fire. The complaint stated that the July-August pay for the Japanese staff and the September pay for some of the foreign instructors was late.
The amount of money involved is startling. Assuming that approximately 5,000 employees are owed roughly 300 thousand yen each, the amount in arrears tops more than 1.5 billion yen. News of this has made its way overseas to countries such as Canada and Australia, where a large number of instructors come from, along with reports that offices there will be closed in order to stop the situation from worsening.
On top of that, it has come to light that students who have completed the paperwork for their refunds have yet to receive them. According Katsuji Yamahara, chairman of the Osaka-based General Union, which is supporting the teachers, “The amount of unpaid refunds is expected to be in the tens of billions of yen.” He also noted that if this money isn’t returned, it could turn into the largest consumer disaster since the end of the second world war.
This is a deathblow to Nova who is trying to restructure itself. But Nova's founder and president, Nozumu Sahashi, is nowhere to be found-- neither head office nor the union has seen or heard from him recently. It's also peculiar that a bank would lose contact with a client to which an executive at a mega bank that has dealings with Nova says he is troubled by the fact that he can't contact Sahashi.
A reporter with a major newspaper says that the media, banks, and consumer credit companies have also been looking for Sahashi's whereabouts without any luck, and its lead them to speculate if he's in hiding or something happened to him.
There are also questions surrounding Nova's share lending. Nova has loaned out more than 22 million shares of which the ownership of 8 million shares is unaccounted for.
Says an executive at a major securities firm, “There are all sorts of rumors that Sahashi is not showing his face because he obscured who he lent the shares to, made a bunch of trades, and made a killing off it.”
It is life or death for Nova, and what's in question is the character of Mr. Sahashi. He should come out of hiding and fulfill his obligation to give an explanation to the students, instructors, staff, and shareholders.
NOVA猿橋望社長の品性
NOVAはのっぴきならないところまで来てしまった。
27日、外国人講師2人が給与の遅配を続けるNOVAを、労働基準法違反に当たるとして、大阪中央労働基準監督署に申告したことで一気に火が噴いた。申告によれば、日本人従業員のこの7~8月分と、外国人講師の9月分の一部が遅れているという。
その金額を聞いて驚いた。遅配の対象者は約5000人、月30万円余りで試算すると、約15億円にのぼる。こうした現状はすでに海外にも伝わり、外国人講師の主たる出身国であるカナダやオーストラリアでは、これ以上の被害を防ぐために現地のNOVA事務所の閉鎖を決めたという情報も伝わってきている。
さらに、解約手続きを済ませた生徒たちへの返金が実施されていないことも発覚。講師らを支援する労働組合のゼネラルユニオン(大阪市)では、「未返金分の総額は100億円規模になる見込み」(同ユニオンの山原委員長)というから真っ青だ。もしこのまま返金されなければ、戦後最大の消費者被害となる恐れまで指摘する。
こうした事態は、立て直しを図るNOVAにとって致命傷だ。ところが、トップで創業者である猿橋望社長は最近、会社にも労組との話し合いにも姿を見せない。それどころか、取引銀行でさえ「猿橋社長と話ができなくて困っている」(メガバンク幹部)という異常さだ。
大手新聞記者は「われわれマスコミもそうだが、銀行や信販会社なども猿橋社長の居所を探しているがわからない。そのため、“雲隠れか”“社長の身辺に何か起きたのか”などさまざまな憶測が飛び交っている」と打ち明ける。
貸し株問題も疑惑のままだ。NOVA株を巡っては2200万株にも上る貸し株があり、そのうちだれに渡ったかわからない800万株の問題をいまだに会社は明らかにしていない。
「世間に出ないのは、猿橋社長が貸し先を隠れみのにして売買を繰り返し、大儲けしているからではないかという、とんでもないウワサが当たり前のように流れている」(証券大手幹部)
存亡の危機にあるNOVA。問われているのは猿橋氏の社長としての「品性」だ。もう逃げるのはやめて、生徒や講師、そして従業員や株主への説明責任を果たすべきだ。
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Comments
Monkeybridge
we want the skinny saruhashi.
`solly fliends your pay is nashi`
what`s your plan to bail us out?
`ace in horu, no need for shout.`
with branches closing left and right?
`but ze rent on zose is out of sight.`
those schools are filled with staff and teachers!
`now they have more time to pray on beaches.`
winter`s coming soon you dick!
`guess some peopre getting sick`
we heard you had a chance to sell.
` i terr zose bitches bend and smell`
the students want their lesson fees.
`don`t can, zose headed overseas. now pranning new rife in Berize.
eh tou ... no further questions prease.`
cheers for the translation
cheers for the translation but would you please be able to tell us which paper this article came from and maybe provide a link
thanks
Monkey Bridge
We all no Sahashi is a secretive jerk. We all know NOVA is facing HUGE problems. i was at the union meeting last night and it was B A D bad news. Before you jump off the NOVA ship, which probably going under, wait until his stupid update on the 5th. Who knows? It may be good news. Probably not, but before you leave Japan just hold on a minute. Before i get a bunch of stupid responses calling me a TI or AT or whatever the higher up staff is called. i am just a lowly MM instructor hoping for the best and prepared for the worst. Call out everyday until the 5th, use your pay holidays or whatever, but still there may be some hope. Little and none is better than just none.
Monkeybridge
Can you give us a little more info about the BAD news you mentioned hearing at the union meeting last night
Saruhashi is a legend
A true master of deceit.Laughing his arse off on some beach in The Bahamas while all you snivelling little leeches are brought to your knees.He did exactly what he wanted to by screwing everyone for every little dollar and exploiting all the gaijin.
dis 'kin guy
Monkeybridge has lost our trust.
His house of cards is goin bust.
What are we supposed to make, of a greedy sod who's on the take?
Who treats staff like backgammon pieces.
dicking with pay like we're nephews & nieces.
Yes Sahashi's lost the script, heedless of the scores he's gypped.
The landlords scream, ”He's in the red?? He triples teachers' rent it's said! What a wretched dunderhead. We want this welshing fucker bled!”
And what does Saru have to say?
His patronistic 'Oshirase'?
”Clouds will part & dawn is near. Never fear, Nozomu's here!”
Meanwhile how's that mayonnaise taste, on crackers from a paper plate?
Will 'hashi sell & take a bow..
... or sink this shady garbage scow?
ok, enough is enough. all
ok, enough is enough. all you little creative artistic types and your poetry or lyrics...give it a rest. we don't read them so stop clogging the server.
Oct 5th
Everyone seems to be waiting for Oct 5th. It is really going to be a BIG day. As a matter of fact the Oct 5th day has been in Japanese language papers for over a week. It is a very important day for Nova. Last week the JASDAQ, Japanese version of the NASDAQ, has ordered Nova to make all it's records transparent to investors by Oct 5th. In other words, they have been ordered to open the books for all to see or be booted from the exchange. Nova will go super nova on Friday. When Mr. Saruhashi commented that Nova teachers and staff will not need to worry about their pay from that day on, he really wasn't kidding!
Spotted an important
Spotted an important translation error
"The amount of unpaid refunds is expected to be in the tens of millions of yen."
"未返金分の総額は100億円規模になる見込み"
That should be TENS OF BILLIONS!!
[at least in US English]
The entire company stock is worth about 3 billion yen, and the ACTUAL book value (assets) is almost zero. So the amount of owed refunds is likely 10 TIMES the value of the company, probably much more.
Article from Yahoo jp.
Article from Yahoo jp. About staff being evicted from apartments now exceeding 300 people.
Link: NOVAが講師給与から天引きの家賃を滞納
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20071001-00000944-san-soci
If you can't read Japanese you can do your best with Bablefish.
http://babelfish.altavista.com/
Cut and past the japanese in, or use the link. May help some of you out there. GL
NOVAが講師給与から天引きの家賃を滞納
10月1日21時12分配信 産経新聞
日本人社員や講師らの給与遅配が続いている英会話大手、NOVAで、同社が大阪市内などで借り上げたアパートに住む複数の外国人講師十数人が、家賃の滞納を理由に家主からの退去を求められていることが1日、わかった。借り上げ住宅に住む講師らの家賃は給料から天引きされているが、NOVAから家主への支払いが滞っているとみられる。NOVA側は「個別の案件についてはコメントできない」としているが、今後、家主が同社の経営を不安視して退去をもとめるケースが相次ぐ可能性がある。
大阪市内に住む女性講師2人は先月末、家主から「家賃が支払われていない。出ていってほしい」と促された。2人は来日当初の契約時に、約25万円の給与から数万円を家賃として天引きすることに同意する契約書に署名し、同社が借り上げたアパートに入居。家賃はこれまでNOVAが支払っていたという。
2人は「会社が家賃を払っていなかったことは、家主に対してとても申し訳なく思う。住む場所を失うのは困るので会社は早くなんとかしてほしい」と不安をもらした。
住宅からの退去を求められた講師からの相談は、NOVAの外国人講師らの相談窓口となっている労働組合「ゼネラルユニオン」(大阪市、山原克二委員長)にも寄せられている。先月末、大阪市内の数カ所のほか静岡県、新潟県などの講師からも相談があった。ユニオンによると、NOVAの担当者はどの住宅で家賃が未払いなのか把握できていなかったといい、「相談があれば、別の住居を速やかに提供するなどすぐに対応したい」と返答したという。
【関連記事】
・ NOVAを労基法違反で告発へ 講師の給与を延期
・ 元受講生がNOVAを提訴 中途解約の精算方法めぐり
・ 生徒や講師に不安広がる NOVA閉鎖問題
・ NOVAが約200校の閉鎖を検討 9月末中心に
・ NOVA社員自殺 労災認定求め両親が提訴
最終更新:10月1日21時12分
babel fish translated
NOVA from lecturer allowance house rent of advance deduction at the time of nonpayment October 1st 21 12 distribution trust product sutra newspapers The English conversation major company where allowance delayed rationing of the Japanese employee and the lecturers is continued, with NOVA, live in the apartment the same company to borrow in such as Osaka city group of foreign lecturer over ten people who were recognized, nonpayment of house rent being required the retreat from the landlord from the reason on the 1st. House rent of the lecturers who live in the debt lifting residence is deducted from salary, it is seen, but that the payment to the landlord is stagnant from NOVA. NOVA side "concerning individual matter you cannot comment," that it has done, but in the future, the landlord managing the same company, insecurity apparent there is a possibility the case which requests retreat following one another. 2 as for woman lecturers who live in Osaka city the end of last month, "house rent is not paid from the landlord. We want keeping "coming out, that it was urged. 2 people when making a contract in visiting Japan beginning, sign the contract which is agreed to deducting several tens of thousands of Yen from allowance of approximately 250000 Yen as house rent, move into the apartment the same company to borrow. You call house rent that NOVA had paid so far. As for 2 people "as for the company not having paid house rent, you think vis-a-vis the landlord without excuse at all. As for losing the place where you live being to be troubled, we want the company somehow quick ", that insecurity was leaked. Consultation from the lecturer who was required the retreat from the residence is moved aside, the Union "general union" which becomes the consultation window of the foreign lecturers of NOVA (Osaka city, Yamahara 克 two chairmen). The end of last month, other than several places of Osaka city there was consultation even from lecturer such as Shizuoka prefecture and Niigata prefecture. According to the union, if the person in charge of NOVA calls and whether house rent is outstanding at some residence that being able to grasp it was not, "is consultation, we would like to correspond directly e.g., another house is offered rapidly,", that you say that it answered. < Related article > NOVA with labor fundamental law violation to prosecution allowance of the lecturer postponement original participant NOVA insecurity NOVA closed problem NOVA which spreads NOVA employee suicide labor disaster recognition request parents suing closing approximately 200 schools to the adjustment methodological round pupil and the lecturer of suit halfway cancellation on the examination end of September center Last renewal: October 1st 21:12
Level3: Thanks for catching
Level3: Thanks for catching that error.
C-man: There's a link to the story in the article. Click "Original article" after the translation.
The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them. -Albert Einstein
Shawn
kiss my buns
Some people need a little rest from all the doomsaying. How do you know who reads my crap?
Brilliant. Well played, old
Brilliant. Well played, old man.
Oct 5th
Nothing is happening on Oct 5th. All schedules are open as usual (complete with lessons booked). Sahashi is not in hiding, he's in Tokyo at HQ there. Not seen in Osaka for quite some time but still in the country. People want facts, I can give them. Just stop posting stuff that is not true. Ask someone that actually knows something instead of speculating incorrectly. He may be a complete twat and the eviction notices are true but stop posting crap that is blatant speculation.
The problem is that there is
The problem is that there is nothing to say that your post is any more credible than anyone else's. Including this one where I will now post this little gem:
Sahashi checked into a Tokyo hospital yesterday with at toothbrush lodged in his anus. He told the doctor that he sat on it by mistake.
For more info, see: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article14531.htm
October 5th---reply
You said for us to ask somebody who "actually knows something"...who the hell is "somebody" I can talk to at Nova?? Because when I talk to my AT, BT, or AAM..they just lie to my face. J-staff are liars as well...who can we trust?? Come out and identify yourself and give us a contact number so we can talk to somebody who 'actually" fxcking knows whats happening in this fxcking company.
I seriously fxcking doubt you know shit. I seriously fxcking doubt Monkey Bridge is in Tokyo either...thats bullshxt! If you havent read the recent article written in Japanese and translated to english and posted recently on this site...there are very large banks, creditors, and JASDAQ folks looking for this shxtbag. If he is in Japan then why the fxck hasnt he made a public statement?? That @sshole is not in the country. This company has no money and its running out of time...this is another sick ploy by a Nova Lover....whatever happened to that "mystery investor" Nova was talking about?? He never fxcking showed up.
You're a fxcking Nova drone....I wonder just how far Nova has its fxck stick up your fat @ss....
Don't waste people's time
Don't waste people's time with Babel Fish. You can see that it's gibberish.
October 5th is the day Nova
October 5th is the day Nova may well be delisted. If not then, then probably Monday or Tuesday. That's something.
A whip-round for the TIs and Management?
Given that NOVA may well be close to collapse, I believe it is now time to start a fund for all the well-respected, amiable TIs AAMs, RAAMs, and off course, Mr Monkey Bridge. Having toiled earnestly for many years, making NOVA the company it now is today, isn't it only right and proper that us regular instructors dig deep and offer up what we can to make sure the NOVA elite have some 'golden parachutes' with which to float gently down into their next jobs where they can hopefully achieve such great things once more. All contributions to be posted by bank transfer to the following address: monkeymagicdisappearingtrick-brazil/copacobana.net.org
surveilance
the cameras and the microphones in the MM centre were turned again today. this usually only happens when there's some kind of broadcast to marketing evetns and the like. however, we regular instructors usually get a message not to monkey around and act up for th ecamera. no such messege today....
Bullsheet
Man this is crap. Whoever "anonymous" is a ful of it, brown nose Nova-tron. Wake up idiot. How long do you wanna work for free. I bet youre a geek who couldn't get laid at home so you came to Japan. NOVA is going down. My advice is start looking for something else, because the people at the top will ride it into the ground. After this debacle theyre pretty much unemployable. "Oh theres gonna be a big announcement". If I had a buck every time this line was used I wouldnt have to work.
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