Japan to toughen controls on brokers for foreign workers

Japan currently checks whether brokers are given permission for their work in each country but does not check on whether they collect deposits.

So, I guess the plan is for a repesentative from the Japanese labour Ministry will fly to Kathmadu, Mumbai, Hanoi or where ever. Walk into a broker's office and ask, " Do you collect deposits from the people you send to Japan?"

The broker will say, "No, of course not."

And the rep will have fulfilled his (or her ) duty.

I have one query about this plan;

In what language will they ask the question?

A simpler approach would be to require that these workers apply thru the Japanese embassy in each country on their own - without broker involvement.

As we learned with the recent labor scandal, they don't actually visit these places. They will send out a questionnaire that the company must respond to promptly. That is considered doing their due diligence.

I would say that this is the key issue to the guest worker thing being brought in. If workers coming into Japan are dependent on brokers, we will just see the same exploitation as when the yaks brought them in illegally.

Don’t worry, there are plenty of brokers and employment agencies in Japan getting their cut too. These are the ones they should be focusing on because these Japanese agencies are the ones sending these kids to Fukushima, making them work excessive hours and taking money from their salaries for random (fake) fees.

All is well

all you guys are correct. I suspect that these changes are for cosmetic purposes and nothing else. That would be my guess.

OmachiToday 

A simpler approach would be to require that these workers apply thru the Japanese embassy in each country on their own - without broker involvement

That actually is the only way really as policing the slave traders in poor countries is literally impossible. It would however mean Japan having to put more resources into their embassies, and there’s no way in a million years you’d get them to take on that very prudent , but resource demanding approach. Not a chance. The actual effort necessary to make things work will be way too much to bother.

Expediency will win again, people’s lives will be traded, bought and sold , but the theoretical considerations were at least once talked about. Good enough. May loose their license.... next!

Planning and doing are two different things. Get on it!

A new round of laws that are multi layered with loopholes that at best funnel the cash to a smaller group of companies. Bet part of the new system will be a "can not talk about work" and a waver for civil action against the companies or employers. A Shhh clause. Now that will be vigorously enforced.

I’m not sure how the government will enforce this. Brokers will always have ways to charge money back from their dispatched workers.

One way is through “utilities and rent”. The brokers have a satellite office in Japan that “oversee” all trainee activities. They charge a fixed amount for each trainee (about $300 a month) for electricity, water. The rent is not free and is divided between the housemates living together (3-5 per house)

they (the brokers) also get a cut from the pay of the workers, as much as 15-20% of the actual salary from the trainees as management fees.

Example, the company in Japan agrees to pay each trainee 1800 (or even more) dollars a month, the broker gets 300 dollars (or even more) from each trainee (which the trainee does not know) and the trainee gets 1500 dollars monthly.

No overtime, so no overtime pay (because of their visa status), (but companies do break them from time to time to cover “lost” days (due to weather or sickness). And the trainees think they’re earning all what they worked for.

Imagine that, at least 300 dollars from each trainee (on top of the 300 dollars for utility separately charged)

they send from 300-1000 a year.

Another thing, the trainees pay for their own health insurance. So brokers and the companies are free from health insurance responsibilities.

do the math, it’s big business.