Should work while playing ... January 31, 19:54

No matter where you live or travel during your stay. You can work or go to a language school. Did you know that there is a youth-only system that allows you to send such a highly flexible overseas life? "Working Holiday" has been sending more than 500,000 young people abroad for more than 40 years since its inception in Japan. However, popular No. In one country, unexpected troubles occurred one after another.
(Yasuyo Mabuchi, Social Affairs Reporter)

Labor exploitation in a southern paradise! ?

"Working holiday Japanese youth are being forced to work at low wages"

One weekend in November last year, I heard from an acquaintance living in Australia who had returned home at a cafe in Marunouchi, Tokyo.

"Abroad there are handicap of words, and there may be such people ..."

At first it was that much acceptance. However, listening to the story, it is said that not one or two people are suffering from the damage. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who saw the situation seriously, has taken action, and the Australian government has called for attention. A reporter cannot leave it alone if he hears such a story. I decided to investigate the working holiday in Australia.

Work + Holiday

What is a working holiday in the first place? The Ministry of Foreign Affairs website says:

"Based on agreements between the two countries / regions, each system allows youth in the partner country / region to enter the country for vacation purposes and to provide additional employment to supplement travel and stay funds during the stay period."

Studying abroad (student visa) limits work and requires a working visa to work abroad. But with a working holiday visa, you can get a full-time part-time job to earn money on vacation or stay, and learn languages ​​while experiencing foreign cultures and lifestyles. To put it simply, it is such a system.

For Japanese, the system is generally available from 18 to 30 years old. It is popular because you can stay abroad more easily than studying abroad.

Started in Japan in 1980. Beginning in Australia, the target has gradually been increased to New Zealand and Canada, and as of the end of January 2020, there have been exchanges with 23 countries and regions.

The number of working holiday visas issued to Japanese people, which was about 900 at the beginning, has increased with the increase in the number of target countries and regions, and has been around 20,000 since 2003.

Australia is the most popular

Looking at the destinations, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK are all English-speaking countries.

Above all, Australia has no upper limit on visa issuance, so it is the No. 1 ranking.

The Australian labor situation is a bit complicated, and the minimum wage is determined by age and employment.

I thought, "What's so much higher than in Japan ...", but the higher salary level, the higher the price.

Working on holidays, wages are greatly increased, and workers are generous in Australia, but according to experts, foreigners who do not have enough English proficiency are required by laws such as minimum wages and payment of overtime work. It is said that there are many cases where limited rights and rules are not observed.

In Japan, low-wage labor by foreigners is a problem, but is it similar? Many working holiday youth are likely to be vulnerable because they often seek to improve their language skills and have limited choices for work.

Looking for data on low-paid labor

Listening here and there, it has become clear that working holiday youth engaged in low-paid work has long been known to some stakeholders. However, no research has been done and there is no data to show the current situation.

Under these circumstances, the first actual survey conducted by the Japan Working Holiday Association, which promotes the working holiday system and supports travelers. A questionnaire was sent to Japanese people who traveled to Australia during the working holidays over the last nine years through the Internet. At that time, 199 men and women between the ages of 18 and 31 responded.

Nearly 70% work at low wages !? A considerable percentage of people do not even receive written work conditions or payslips.

Looking at a question that asks for the reward I received in hourly wage conversion.

What a "no pay" person. "Unpaid work". It can no longer be called labor ...

The Australian Government website states, "Australia's labor laws cover all workers, including foreign nationals, regardless of length of stay or visa type. Can't contract for less than the wage, they have to give the payroll to the workers, and the salary must be paid in money, not in goods or services such as food, clothing, housing, etc. " .

Looking at the survey results in more detail, the surprising figures are again.

Only a few people said that it was "unusual." Three out of four were crying and falling asleep.

On the other hand, 13% of the respondents answered that they did not know the minimum wage for the job they were engaged in.

Expert "After all ..."

How do local experts see this result? We asked Nana Oishi, an associate professor at the University of Melbourne, who is familiar with working holidays.

Associate Professor Nana Oishi of the University of Melbourne "Since most of the Japanese working holiday young people I have met in the past have worked below the minimum wage, the frank result of this survey is that According to the survey results, the awareness of the rights of young people traveling abroad on working holidays is weak, and the situation that restaurant management and agriculture cannot be established without working holiday young people who work even at low wages and those foreign countries I can see the ambitions of employers to use people to keep costs down. ''

Why "Cry and sleep"?

Why do so many people cry and fall asleep? In a questionnaire survey, I was able to hear from people who answered, "I have worked below the minimum wage."

The woman stayed in Brisbane, Australia's third largest city, on a working holiday for a year until August last year and had two jobs.

After traveling, she first went to a language school for four months and started searching for a job during this time. However, she had difficulty finding a job because she did not have enough English.

I finally got a job at a restaurant in a shopping center. The hourly wage is about A $ 20 (about 1500 yen), which is about 10% to 20% lower than the minimum wage. In addition, he was not paid overtime and was required to work every day due to lack of manpower, and he retired in about two months because his physical and mental burden was heavy.

When I talked to my friend, I was told, "It's illegal and I can win if I appeal," but I couldn't take action.

A woman said, “During my limited stay, I was hesitant to think about the time and effort required to sue. My employer knew that I was better off looking for the next job than taking action. It was like watching it. ''

After that, I started looking for a job again, but I couldn't find a place to hire a foreigner whose visa was imminent.

When the money I brought from Japan was running out, I finally came to a job interview at a Japanese restaurant run by a Japanese restaurant. It is said that the hourly wage indicated was about 60% of the minimum wage.

The manager of the restaurant said, "If it is OK under these conditions, it will be adopted immediately," and I had to accept it.

Woman: “I was surprised at the low hourly wage, but even looking at the recruitment website, it was less likely to keep the minimum wage, and I had to return home if I could not find a job, so I was terrible. I was sad that I was doing something and it was terrible, but at that time I did not know where to consult. ''

Associate Professor Oishi of the University of Melbourne explained the local situation.

Associate Professor Nana Oishi of the University of Melbourne “Working holiday young people gather from all over the world and there are local young people, so I think that it is lucky to work part-time at restaurants etc. It is very competitive and I can get a job even if it is below the minimum wage Even if it is a working holiday for holidays, many people travel without thinking deeply, even though they have the rights as a worker, as long as they are allowed to work. Many people think, "I'm bad." "

And for Australian employers.

Associate Professor Nana Oishi at the University of Melbourne `` If you find that you are below the minimum wage, the employer will be penalized, so it is said that there are many cases where you do not make a contract confidently or do not give the pay statement People from Japan are vulnerable to foreigners who are not good at English and tend to think that they will work as expected without knowing that there is a rescue agency. "

I felt that I could understand the background of “sleeping in a cry” a little.

While it became convenient ...

Why didn't you notice the risk before you left even though so many Japanese were affected?

The group that conducted this survey usually conducts seminars for those who wish to travel, and when interviewing the staff, the staff said, `` Australia has a high minimum wage, but some companies do not observe it, so gather information. It's important to improve your English skills so you can get a decent salary job. "

There are many articles on the Internet that warn of low-paid work, and videos on the Australian government's agency website that explain the labor system, minimum wage, etc. in Japanese in an easy-to-understand manner. If you look at it, you can notice the dangers behind the “holiday”.

But many people get stuck. Mr. Kazuyoshi Matsunaga, Consul General of Japan in Melbourne, who is eager to address this issue and call attention, gave an important point.

Melbourne Consulate-General Consul-General Kazuyoshi Matsunaga "The reason why Australia is so popular is that you can easily apply for a visa online and get a visa in a matter of hours. One of the problems is that the rental contract can be done on the Internet by one person, but it is convenient, but the opportunity to listen to and receive attention from various people, such as those who have worked for the holidays, is lost. I think there is. "

Act without crying and sleeping!

Concerning the situation, Consul-General Matsunaga began holding a seminar and calling out directly to Japanese people staying at Working Holidays last summer.

In Australia, Fairwork Ombudsman, a government agency serving as the Labor Standards Inspection Office in Japan, is helping labor-management problems such as unpaid salaries. We also respond to telephone inquiries, and you can talk to the representative in Japanese using a free interpreter service.

A seminar at the Consulate General stated that `` If you are in labor exploitation, consult with Fairwork Ombudsman and you will get back unpaid wages '', and those who heard it acted and tens of thousands from employers In other words, there are cases where we have successfully recovered hundreds of thousands of yen from the yen.

Speaking aloud and taking action may improve the situation, but keep moving. In exchange of views with the consuls of other countries, Consul General Matsunaga learned that Koreans and French who faced similar problems consulted the Consulate General much more frequently than Japanese. He said that he came to think that "personality" had a significant effect.

Japanese Consulate-General of Melbourne Mr. Kazuyoshi Matsunaga "Foreigners complain immediately because there is a problem because they have strong self-assertion. Even if you follow traditional Japanese customs such as "Say the flower," or "silence is gold," foreigners cannot understand. No one will read the air, so if you encounter a problem it is important to do something without crying and falling asleep.First of all, talk to the embassy / consulate general and the local rescue agency. please"

To make the best memories ...

Working Holiday is a valuable overseas experience that can only be done when you are young. However, behind the scenes many young people have been forced into illegal low-paid work.

"If there were no troubles, it would be a nicer memory ..."

In order to avoid such regrets, I would like you to carefully assess risks and prepare in advance, and if you encounter a problem, make a firm claim and take action.

Yasuyo Mabuchi, Social Affairs Reporter