Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2010 December 1 - 7 [LABOR]

Chinese trainees and interns seek payment of unpaid wages in court

A group of 14 Chinese trainees and interns on November 30 filed a lawsuit with the Tokushima District Court against a sewing company for which they worked, demanding 140 million yen in back pay.

They also claim damages against the company for infringing on human rights and for imposing forced heavy workloads.

Those Chinese trainees and interns paid about 800,000 yen in brokerage charges to come to Japan between June 2008 and July 2009. They worked at the sewing company until August of this year.

They were forced to work under severe working conditions, they claim.

Trainees were paid 90,000 to 120,000 yen a month and interns were paid 60,000 to 90,000 yen. The company forced them to work an average of 14 hours a day and gave them only once or two days off a month. These trainees and interns were subjected to a torrent of abuse at work. Furthermore, the company took away their passports as a measure to prevent their escape.
- Akahata, December 1, 2010