"【活動報告ブログ】実習生監理団体「東葉ワークス事業協同組合」に緊急抗議を行いました（10/18）", 25 Oct 2020

[Japanese-to-English translation provided by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre.]

On 17 October 2020, a supervisory organization for technical trainees in Chiba prefecture, Toyo Works Business Cooperative [(Toyo Works)], attempted to force a Sri Lankan worker to go to her work site. The technical trainee, who works at a farm in Gunma prefecture, has experienced physical violence and harassment. In response, the General Support Union—NPO POSSE’s partner—requested collective bargaining with her supervisory organization and held an emergency protest. Over 10 student members of NPO POSSE also joined the protest in support of the union…

Toyo Works Managing Director, Masayuki Ibashi, responded in bad faith to the union’s request for collective bargaining. He threw back the letter presented by a union representative. He also sidestepped questions from the union and ignored our calls for nearly an hour…

On 16 October 2020, the Sri Lankan trainee held a press conference at the Gunma Prefectural Office where she revealed the daily verbal and physical abuse she experienced at her work site…She had arrived in Japan in December 2018, working in agriculture since February 2019…Within six months at her work site, she had experienced physical and verbal abuse from her supervisor at her dorm on a regular basis. She has also recorded a male voice shouting, “Go back to Sri Lanka if you don’t like it here,” and, “We don’t want you here anyway.”

The supervisory organization tried to force her to go back to work the day after the press conference. According to the trainee, she was forced into a car by three men, including the president of Toyo Works, with the intent of taking her to the farm. At the time, she reports that they told her not to keep silent about the incident, saying, “The union isn’t working on her your best interests.” These actions are illegal and violate workers’ rights…