The group of Vietnamese interns accused the Japanese company of owed nearly 200,000 USD in salary
A group of 11 Vietnamese technical interns accused clothing company Koshimizu in Ehime Prefecture of owed $194,000 in wages before going bankrupt.
Vietnamese interns on November 16 held a press conference in Matsuyama city, Ehime prefecture, western Japan, saying that the Koshimizu garment company declared bankruptcy on November 7 before paying them 27 million. yen (194,000 USD) outstanding salary.
According to a group of 11 trainees, this is the salary that the company must pay for the time they are required to work overtime. Before declaring bankruptcy, the company promised to pay each person 2.2-2.6 million yen in installments, including compensation for late payments.
"We are very sad because we were treated unfairly. Whatever happens, they have to pay us," Doan Thi Thu Nga, 32, one of the trainees, said at the press conference.
Doan Thi Thu Nga speaks at a press conference in Matsuyama city, Ehime, November 16. Photo: Kyodo.
Vietnamese trainees speak at a press conference in Matsuyama city, Ehime, November 16. Photo: Kyodo.
Records show that these interns often have to work more than 100 hours per month at Koshimizu Company in Seiyo City, Ehime Prefecture. The harsh working conditions forced them in August to find a non-profit organization to support Vietnamese in Japan. Jiho Yoshimizu, the organization's staff, said "will continue to make efforts to protect their rights".
The group of 11 left Koshimizu on November 4 and will start a new job at another textile company in Gifu Prefecture, central Japan.
Koshimizu Garment Company was contracted by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to produce protective clothing during the Covid-19 pandemic. The company has not commented on the Vietnamese trainees' allegations, but Koshimizu's lawyer said the company owes a total of about 60 million yen ($430,000).
Japan established a technical intern trainee program in 1993, aimed at transferring knowledge and skills to developing countries, but has been criticized as a "slave labor" system that provides cover for foreign companies. cheap labor recruitment company from all over Asia.
Verbal and physical abuse as well as arrears are common problems with the technical intern program, leading to mass defections of workers.
In July, then-Japan Justice Minister Yoshihisa Furukawa said the government plans to comprehensively review the trainee system, amid questions about its ability to support interns. abroad of this program.
As of the end of June, about 328,000 people resided in Japan as technical interns, according to the Immigration Bureau. Meanwhile, data from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) shows that about 202,000 Vietnamese technical interns are studying and working in the country, as of June 2021.
Duc Trung (According to Kyodo News)
