Recent comments
- Little in Japan
3 days 9 hours ago - or....
1 week 3 days ago - Try Altia instead.
1 week 3 days ago - Mr X
1 week 4 days ago - geos
1 week 4 days ago - Mr X is pushing it up hill
1 week 4 days ago - BAck to GEOS
1 week 5 days ago - It's not me clogging the
1 week 6 days ago - Simple solutions
1 week 6 days ago - Very good. I can see where
1 week 6 days ago
Will Work For Food
This is what is has come to:
The Japan Times
A union representing teachers of Nova Corp. said Thursday its ranks will soon launch a "Lesson-for-Food" campaign in which they will offer free classes to students of the failed foreign-language school chain in exchange for basic food or meals.
The union said in Tokyo that it has also started accepting donations to help Nova teachers who find themselves destitute and face being evicted from their homes, said Bob Tench, president of the Nova branch of the National Union of General Workers Tokyo Nambu.
"Why are we doing this? People have no money . . . they have no food," Tench told reporters at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan. "This is a crisis that is rapidly turning into a tragedy."
"Will work for food" was supposed to be a joke. Nobody's laughing any more.
ShareThis
LJ is currently using a spam filter, which may eat legitimate comments, particularly those containing URLs. If you are having trouble posting a comment, email LJ.
Comments
"Bob Tench is President of
"Bob Tench is President of the Nova Union, voted by all the good people who are working every day to secure our rights as workers."
Bob Tench is the only miserable fired Nova teacher with nothing better to do than fail miserably at something else. Please provide the data on Bob's election, how many good people voted for him and how many good people voted for the other candidate. Who was the other candidate? This is sad, but he/she must have jumped in front of the Sobu line after learning that even Bob was more popular.
And please don't refer to it as "the Nova Union." It represented almost no Nova employees at all.
As far as the costume goes, it's clear they just want to get on TV and don't give a damn about the teachers.
I agree
The instructors who have been dressing up in ridiculous costumes at press conferences do nothing to help our cause. They reinforce stereotypes that foreigners can never turn off the sarcasm and be frank. They also make it look like unpaid instructors are having fun and are not truly affected by financial hardship. Basically, we look like spoiled kids to the public. Let's cut it out.
WILL WORK FOR $$$
I think the whole union thing was a publicity stunt...blah, blah, blah.
If a teacher wants money, then they should go out and make if for themselves. We can't trust big business or the stupid government to always be there for us. The safest way to work is for yourself...period.
Just An Online Teacher,
John Buchanan
http://HowToTeachEnglishOnline.com
Just An Online Teacher,
John Buchanan
http://HowToTeachEnglishOnline.com
This is true. We all use
This is true. We all use racism to make sense of the unknown and perhaps unknowable 'other'. Even with all our years of progress, it's still the same thing simmering underneath. I'd love it if there were countries without racism. But sadly, they just don't exist.
Racism in Japan
Good point, the most extreme racism is for the other Asians. But, I will tell you here and now that trying to live here long term is a lot harder than a short-term 'working holiday'. How are you going to buy property, what if your school decides they 'want a change', whilst all the Japanese staff keep their secured employment? The exclusive attitudes do start to effect Westerners, it just takes longer for the barriers to be reached. Things like housing and job security are made preferential to the Japanese- which however you look at it, is wrong.
The general Japanese view is that foreigners should come for a bit, have a good time and get a good impression and 'go home'. But some have made their home in Japan, if only for their wife, family or their career's sake. Is it still fair to demand they leave, or accept 'Japanese Only' restrictions? It's the Japanese government's job to reduce all kinds of racism, obvious and subtle- their own constitution says all ethnic groups should have equal opportunities, so it's just a case of implementing it. Don't forget, foreigners pay taxes, too.
It's kind of tricky. There
It's kind of tricky. There is a need to get attention when there are so many issues that only the most visual ones will get media air-time. That's just the way the media works- they ignore anything dull. Of course, this means that there are limits to the usefulness of the media for raising awareness- but it is still one of the most useful tools out there. The worst thing for foreigners here is to be seen as scary- as then people tend to turn their backs on us.
I can see how this silliness can create bad publicity- but also, the union's strategy of not risking the issue leaving the public eye by letting it get too 'boring'. On balance, with the huge responsibility they have (who else is speaking for the Nova instructors), I'd say they are striking the right balance between showing their righteous anger and appealing to Japanese taste for 'cute', or 'heat-warming' stories. Remember, we're in Japan- where people don't want to take foreigners very seriously in the first place. At best, we're viewed as entertainers- an outlook we can't 'force' Japanese people to change.
I like the way you think- sad but true
Re: last comment, you've probably hit the nail on the head right there. Perfect.
Thats what this situation needs, some sober and practical thinking.
No matter how many people gripe we will still keep fighting the good fight for you all because sadly, unless you actually come out of the woodwork and actually DO something instead of moaning on a forum, I'd say that doesn't give you the right to protest the actions of others who are doing something.
If you want to have your say and actually care enough to do something about it, join the Nova Union (yes, we're still here, and will be till we get what we want from Nova) and vote out the person you don't want to represent you, or better still, become President yourself-! I'm sure Bob wouldn't mind taking your place behind a computer putting out more mindless negativity while you attend rallies, court-hearings, press conferences and answer phone calls and emails all day working often past midnight, for free.
Comment viewing options
Post new comment
<blockquote>tags will be styled as a block that indicates a quotation.More information about formatting options