Construction jobs for all, even wild Africans!

[Taro Toporific]

Here's an African expat has found a lucrative construction job in labor-starved* Tokyo!

Giraffe-heavy-equipment-.jpg

キリンさん重機発見♪pic.twitter.com/Az1tahFX5o ToruTANNO (@tang40) July 22, 2014

*Japanese firms near crisis point as labor shortage deepens
The Japan Times | July 11, 2014
Japan’s labour shortage is nearing crisis in some key industries as it spreads from construction to services, curbing companies’ operations, pushing up wages and potentially crimping a tentative recovery in the world’s third-largest economy...
...The labor crunch began in construction, where demand for rebuilding after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami has combined with the start of preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. In May, there were eight times as many job offers for highly qualified workers putting together steel construction frames as there were workers.
More...

[inflames]

The places that generally have labor shortages are the ones that want part-timers and contract workers, usually with crap pay and benefits. Is anyone surprised that people aren't rushing to work in Fukushima, or with Sukiya or Peach? (btw Peach basically only hires contract workers).

[Russell]

The places that generally have labor shortages are the ones that want part-timers and contract workers, usually with crap pay and benefits. Is anyone surprised that people aren't rushing to work in Fukushima, or with Sukiya?

Tumbling into red, Sukiya pays price for working staff into the ground

The working hours were outrageously long. They must be rectified immediately.

The harsh working conditions at the Sukiya beef-bowl chain have been revealed in a report by a third-party panel set up by Zensho Holdings Co., the parent of the gyudon chain’s operator.

Some Sukiya staff worked more than 500 hours a month and were unable to return home for two weeks. Only one employee was on during graveyard shifts, so they could not even go to the bathroom. These unreasonable working conditions had become routine at the food chain.

The Labor Standards Inspection Office had repeatedly pointed out that Sukiya was violating the law, but the company did not take any fundamental steps to improve its practices.

Management’s attitude of giving short shrift to even the health of Sukiya’s employees cannot be simply overlooked.

Details about the harsh working conditions at Sukiya restaurants spread online and through other channels. The resulting nosedive in job applicants eventually rendered Sukiya unable to secure enough part-time workers. Many Sukiya outlets were forced to temporarily close due to staff shortages, and Zensho is now forecast to register a loss this fiscal year. This will be the first time Zensho has fallen into the red since it was established.

This is the price Sukiya must pay for dumping an excessive workload on its employees. It has exposed a major shortcoming in the company’s business model of continuously expanding its network of outlets and squeezing out every last yen in profit by curtailing labor costs.

At a press conference, Zensho Holdings Chairman and President Kentaro Ogawa said the company “will change its plan to have all outlets operating 24 hours a day.” Ogawa also said he plans to abolish the practice of having just one employee working through the early hours of the morning by the end of September.

The company must quickly create an environment in which its employees can work comfortably.

Staff bearing brunt

Sukiya is not the only company at fault. Competition is intense in the restaurant chain industry. There has previously been criticism of companies where employees committed suicide due to the stress of excessive working hours and other arduous conditions, and exploitative cases of staff being made managers in name only so they do not receive overtime pay.

The mass departure of staff and difficulties in attracting new employees are indications that a company’s work environment is unduly severe. Businesses exhibiting such signs should learn a useful lesson from Sukiya’s woes, and check for any problems with their own work structure and treatment of employees.

More

[Samurai_Jerk]

500 hours a month!! Jesus H Christ there are only 720 hours in a month.

[Takechanpoo]

slave or neet
its an ultimate choice for J-young generation.

[Coligny]

500 hours a month!! Jesus H Christ there are only 720 hours in a month.

Yup, that's why they call it "part time job"

[Samurai_Jerk]

Japan restaurant ordered to pay $500,000 damages after suicide

"With only one holiday given to him every several months, the psychological load of prolonged work and power harassment caused his mental disorder," said presiding judge Akira Yamada, according to a Kyodo News report on Tuesday.

Yamada ordered the company and its two officials to pay a total of 58 million yen ($510,000) to the parents of the man, who was 24 when he took his own life in November 2010.

Wow, that's pretty surprising. I'm not sure how I feel about it though. The restaurant is definitely scummy and deserves to be punished but the guy could have quit.

[matsuki]

Japan restaurant ordered to pay $500,000 damages after suicide

"With only one holiday given to him every several months, the psychological load of prolonged work and power harassment caused his mental disorder," said presiding judge Akira Yamada, according to a Kyodo News report on Tuesday.

Yamada ordered the company and its two officials to pay a total of 58 million yen ($510,000) to the parents of the man, who was 24 when he took his own life in November 2010.

Wow, that's pretty surprising. I'm not sure how I feel about it though. The restaurant is definitely scummy and deserves to be punished but the guy could have quit.

Having known a d00d that had all kinds of physical health problems manifest due to pretty much the same shit as above.....for incredibly shit pay, you can call it the culture/mentality/caste system but whatever it is, many (not all) feel some really nutty obligation to what they committed themselves to do.

My friend's position was head producer at a very famous music label.....he justified by claiming the prestige and experience would land him any position within the music industry he wanted...after he put in enough time there and he was better known. That time came sooner than he though after he was hospitalized and one of his co-workers literally dropped dead on the job (not sure what the medical diagnosis was but he described it as stress/exhaustion related) He finally quit...got his pilot's license, and flies commercial planes for a living.

Maybe it's a bit too tinfoil hat but I also think the media/gov doesn't want to dig in to this type of shit...if the work ethic here got as bad as many in North America, or even as bad as some Euro countries (cough cough France) then the economy would go to complete shit much quicker than it already is.

[Samurai_Jerk]

the work ethic here

Spending a lot of time at the office sucking your teeth and taking coffee breaks while you wait for the boss to go home isn't the same thing as a good work ethic. Having a better work/life balance leads to happier, healthier, more productive employees. Besides North America is pretty much in the same boat as Japan. The stats for Canada, the US, and Mexico don't look too good.

[matsuki]

I meant the real workers...like the guy in the article and the dudes working 24/7 for weeks straight to actually get something done. No doubt they exist in other countries as well but the pay off in other countries usually is better pay and success....here, it seems to be nothing more that status and name recognition. I've known more than a few shacho of extremely large companies here that are taking home far less than most people I know just a few years into their careers back in the states. The "it's the same anywhere else I go, at least I have a job" mentality here always seems second to none....and without the gov/media really pushing the you can always find a better job mentality, I don't see that changing.

As to the teeth sucking, unproductive members of the workforce who think appearing productive is more important than work, yeah, they're almost as fucked as the seniority promotion based shit that goes on here and hinders quite a bit of the potential. (and probably part of the reason why they keep things as they are now)

[kurogane]

..if the work ethic here got as bad as many in North America, or even as bad as some Euro countries (cough cough France) then the economy would go to complete shit much quicker than it already is.

I am with SJ and will happily completely disagree. The Japanese Work Ethic (and Kulchur) IS the problem, and the reason the economy is so moribund. Blind ritual is not productive.

BTW, maybe it's where we're both from, but the work ethic in Vangroover (or let's say non-Atlantic Canada) is far superior to anything anywhere in Japan and always has been, MYHOMO; and professionals are working far longer than our fathers ever did, which I think is bad. The difference is We claim to hardly work as we work hard, while Japanese do the reverse. I have been simply appalled at the degradation in service levels here since I got back, and I never really thought it was any good to begin with, not being mollified by vacuous linguistic toe sucking rather than having the problem solved. The other day Peach Air left me napping at the seat next to the boarding gate and were gracious enough to blame me twice and rather violently refuse me a refund.