Unions assisting foreigners working illegally in Japan are calling on the government to lift its ban on allowing them to engage in manual labor.

They say such foreigners have already become a workforce that cannot be ignored, but they often suffer unjust treatment by employers who take advantage of their vulnerable position.

Zentoitsu Workers Union, located in Taito Ward, Tokyo, is helping a 42-year-old Indian man in his legal fight against his former employer over unpaid wages.