Tag - labor

 
 

LABOR

People hold an anti-Japan rally in Seoul in July 2019 following Tokyo's decision to tighten controls on exports to South Korea.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2025
North Korea incited anti-Japan sentiment in the South
North Korea aimed to fan the flames of anti-Japanese sentiment over issues like wartime labor and the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.
A Dior store front in Rome. Despite passing audits, Dior's contractors in Italy have been accused of labor abuses.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 2, 2025
Inside luxury goods' broken audit system
Revelations of worker exploitation in Dior's Italian production chain have exposed flaws in supply chain audits and triggered judicial action.
Populist and far-right parties globally are gaining working-class support as center-left parties fail to address their economic concerns and cultural disconnects.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 10, 2024
The working class and the rise of populism
Talking about creating good jobs in the industries of the future is not the same as doing it. Workers want bold, effective leaders who will take concrete action.
Jetstar Japan has been ordered to pay back wages to two cabin crew members for the periods they were suspended.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 3, 2024
Jetstar Japan loses lawsuit over disciplinary action against cabin crew
The Tokyo District Court ruled that the airline's suspension of two cabin crew members in relation to a pay dispute in 2022 was unjustified.
In an interview in Tokyo with the BBC that was published on Thursday, Fast Retailing CEO Tadashi Yanai said the company does not source cotton from China's Xinjiang region.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 29, 2024
Uniqlo criticized in China after CEO says retailer does not use Xinjiang cotton
Tadashi Yanai, the CEO of Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing, said it does not source cotton from the region, which has faced allegations of forced labor.
Employees work on assembling vehicles at a SAIC Volkswagen plant in Urumqi, in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in September 2018.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 27, 2024
VW confirms plans to exit controversial Xinjiang operation
The decision to free itself from the plant comes as the firm is battling to boost flagging sales in China.
The labor ministry will urge companies to take action against the practice of forcing employees to buy their own products to meet sales quotas.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 26, 2024
Japan steps up measures against firms forcing workers to buy own products
The labor ministry will define such practices as a form of power harassment and require companies to take action when they occur.
People offer a moment of silence during a ceremony held for the first time on Sunday to remember those who worked at the now-defunct gold mines on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture, including those from the Korean Peninsula.
JAPAN
Nov 25, 2024
Japan calls it 'regrettable' South Korea skipped Sado mine memorial
The event came after the Sado Island Gold Mines were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site earlier this year.
Workers repair a damaged road on Jan. 7 in the aftermath of an earthquake in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture.
JAPAN
Nov 14, 2024
New minister promises ample budget for disaster resilience
"Improving the country's resilience is an extremely important task," Hiromasa Nakano said in an interview.
An expert committee convened by the health ministry has proposed introducing a limit on consecutive workdays.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 13, 2024
Japan to ban employees from working for 14 consecutive days
Employers are currently required to provide one day off a week, but loopholes mean some employees can work up to 48 days in a row.
According to The Japan Fair Trade Commission, Kadokawa notified 26 subcontractors in January 2023 that it would unilaterally cut compensation rates for content slated for Lettuce Club from its April 2023 issue and beyond.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 13, 2024
Kadokawa warned over unfair payment practices
In a joint statement issued Tuesday, Kadokawa and its subsidiary pledged to pay the outstanding amounts once calculations are complete.
The Fair Trade Commission says rules preventing pro baseball players from freely choosing their agents for contract negotiations could violate the antimonopoly law.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 20, 2024
Japan FTC warns pro baseball body over agent rules
The body's rules have limited agents for players to lawyers and prohibited players from choosing lawyers who had already been picked by other players.
Migrant workers and union members hold a demonstration in favor of fair working conditions in the Made in Italy supply chain, in Geneva on Sept. 11.
BUSINESS
Sep 19, 2024
How migrant workers suffer to craft the 'Made in Italy' luxury label
Brands rely on a chain of contractors and subcontractors, with checks on conditions and the treatment of workers virtually nonexistent.
A foreign laborer works at a construction site amid scorching heat in Riyadh in 2022.
SOCCER / World cup
Aug 28, 2024
Saudi Arabia's World Cup bid renews fears for migrants' welfare
Foreign laborers who dealt with harsh conditions in Saudi Arabia are warning about a pending construction boom for stadiums for the 2034 World Cup.
Lions players celebrate after a win over the Buffaloes on Wednesday at Belluna Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Aug 25, 2024
A fight over free agency in NPB, with help from an American union
The union representing players in NPB is fighting to secure rights over players' images and give them the opportunity to make the jump to MLB sooner.
South Korean Ambassador to Japan Yun Duk-min is interviewed in Tokyo on July 19.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 4, 2024
South Korea's outgoing envoy pushes for joint declaration on history recognition
Yun Duk-min reiterated that a declaration could be announced in 2025 to mark the 60th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral diplomatic ties.
Ryugo Watanabe (second from right), mayor of Sado, Niigata Prefecture, celebrates Saturday in New Delhi after the UNESCO World Heritage Committee unanimously decided in a meeting in the Indian capital to register the Sado Island Gold Mines as a World Cultural Heritage site.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 28, 2024
Tokyo-Seoul negotiations lead to Sado Gold Mines' UNESCO listing
South Korea argued that the mines used forced labor from the Korean Peninsula during WWII, and that Japan should reflect the whole history of the site.
A tunnel inside the Sado Island Gold Mines in Sado, Niigata Prefecture
JAPAN / History
Jul 27, 2024
Japan's Sado gold mines added to World Heritage list
The site is associated with Korean wartime labor and was once the world's largest gold mine complex.
The Sado Gold Mine, so heavily tapped that the mountain bearing it has been cleaved in two, is up for consideration for UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site status.
JAPAN
Jul 27, 2024
Japan should display full history of Sado mine, South Korean archaeologist says
He will not advise the South Korean UNESCO delegation against accepting the designation of the mine if Japan explains its history properly.
A tunnel inside the Sado Island Gold Mines in Sado, Niigata Prefecture
JAPAN
Jul 26, 2024
South Korea to accept Sado Gold Mines as World Heritage site
The International Council on Monuments and Sites urged Japan to provide visitors with information on all mining periods at the site.

Longform

Atsuyoshi Koike, the president and CEO of Rapidus, says there is a “sense of urgency” when it comes to Japan’s efforts in manufacturing semiconductors. “We have to make sure we are successful,” he says.
Atsuyoshi Koike’s big game: Fourth down and 2 nanometers to go