On April 1, it was revealed that the Embassy of Canada in Tokyo does not have employment insurance, which is required by Japanese law, and that a female employee in her 30s who was hired in Japan and gave birth in Japan is not receiving childcare leave benefits under her employment insurance. She is also not covered by the Canadian social security system.
The General Union (Osaka), a labor union to which the women belong, pointed out that this constitutes an unfair labor practice, and will soon file a petition for relief with the Osaka Labor Relations Commission, demanding that the women join unemployment insurance and hold collective bargaining sessions.
According to the labor union, similar problems are also occurring at embassies and consulates in other countries. It is believed that this is due to the widespread misunderstanding that Japanese laws do not apply to such cases, and the compliance of each country is being questioned.
She is feeling discouraged, saying that they are being neglected, even though their embassy is in a country that values diversity and women’s advancement in society.
A spokesperson for the Embassy of Canada responded to the interview, “The terms and conditions of employment for locally hired (Japanese) employees take into account Japanese standards and practices, and we offer benefits comparable to the Japanese system.
