STEP 1
INDIVIDUAL
ORGANISING TRAINING
Talking Union: Building the union one step at a time
Training Outline ・ 50 minutes
Intro:
Why this training exists
The Numbers Don't Lie:
• 70% of our new members join through personal introductions from existing members
• So if we can get this number up and build even more knowledge and confidence, we could be doing that much better
• But we never had anything to help individual members with those everyday conversations
The Gap:
• Members kept asking: "You tell us to talk to our coworkers, but what do we say? How do we do it? Where? When?"
• We're great at explaining the "why" but not so good at the practical "how"
• Especially if you're a bit nervous about having these conversations
• So we invented the Individual Organising Training (IOC).
What This Is:
• Practical advice for confident conversations with coworkers about the union
• Adding a little boost to something that's already working well
• Not rocket science – just what we call “union common sense”
Section 1:
Your Right to Organise--A Strong Legal Foundation
Your Legal Rights
• Union rights are constitutionally protected in Japan (Article 28)
• Workers have three fundamental rights: to organise unions, bargain collectively, and take collective action (strike)
• The Trade Union Law Article 7 requires employers to negotiate in good faith and prohibits unfair labour practices
• These apply to all workers regardless of nationality, visa status, or employment type
• Even one member has these rights - employers must engage in collective bargaining regardless of union size
• This system allows us to deal both with individual grievances at any employer, and to also build numerical strength in workplaces to win improvements in wages and conditions
Your Legal Rights in Practice - Organising in the Workplace
• We are not a secret society, but rather an open organisation exercising legal rights
• Talk to coworkers about unions during breaks
• Distribute union materials during non-work time, even if company rules say you need permission
• And as long as you do not interfere with company operations and do it during break times, the Supreme Court has upheld these rights repeatedly
&/but...
Smart Organising Practices:
• Being thoughtful about how we organise—whether that's talking to coworkers or handing out materials—avoids putting colleagues in a corner. They take the material and risk having a boss see them, or not take the material and snub your colleague.
• Good organising requires forward planning on the best way to approach workmates.
• Just because it's your right, doesn't mean you have to do it. Making plans based on the reality of the workplace is the smart way to organise.
GOLDEN RULE #1
Being Honest About Risks:• Everyone wants to know the risks and that's a good thing. People that believe in risk are less likely to be reckless in organising.
• If we don’t address risk people will think we’re hiding something because everyone wants to know... Can I get fired?
• It's the most asked question (including those who want to ask but don't want to look scared). The answer is... YES, but most likely not.
• people do get fired for organising unions - it's illegal, but it happens
• Will I be harassed? Treated unfairly? YES and YES, but most likely not.
• it's rare and not something to concentrate on or spend lots of time discussing
• So, don't try too hard to convince people they won't get fired—deal with it openly, clearly, and move on
• At the end of the day--the union gets one-hundred times more the number of calls from NON-UNION members who got fired.
Section 2A:
Five More Golden Rules of Organising Conversations**
1. “Listening Before Talking”
Most activists jump straight to "here's how the union fixes this" the second someone mentions a problem. Find out what's really bothering them first.
2. “Connect individual issues to collective action”
Use your own experience if it helps, but don't oversell. Talk about what the union can and can't do.
3. “Don't chase the loudest complainer”
They're often just venting. They are usually not organising material.
Best not to waste time.
4. “One conversation won't convert anyone”
Budget for a second and third. That's not pressure, that's how relationships work.
5. “You don't need to sell the union every time you talk”
Raise it now and then as part of an ongoing relationship but it should be a constant barrage. If you get labelled the “union bore”, no one will listen.
Section 2B:
Now, thinking about your own workplace.
Text
Section 3:
Tools and Resources
Be Honest When You Don't Know:• When someone asks something you don't know, don't pretend to know and make stuff up, that's how bosses treat workers - say "I don't know, but I'll find out and get back to you"
• This honesty opens up another opportunity to talk to them again and builds trust
• You can't know everything, but you need to know something about the union to be effective
So, Where Do You Go When You Need to KnowResources to Make You a Better OrganiserWhen people ask you how the union works, here's where you (and they) can get real answers:• Start close to home: Do you know your branch coordinator and union HQ staff responsible for your workplace?• Website (www.generalunion.org): loads of information on labour law - parental leave, employment insurance, workplace rights, etc.
Do you ever visit the site? What do you think about it? How do you think the information is presented and organised?• Union Orientation: if you haven't been yet, go - it's the best place to learn union structure and how it's run.
Have you ever been? Do you want someone to contact you about this?• Consultations (genu.cc/consult): this is for non-members. Union members should just use [email protected] if you don’t know the exact staff or branch officer to contact.
Many new members join after taking a consultation. How about you? If you did join after a consultation, how did you know how to contact us?• E-news signup (genu.cc/e-news):the way to keep people connected. Usually twice per week.
Do you know that there is an E-news? Do you read it? Find it useful?• Training opportunities: Even non-members are welcome to join the IOT (sp.genu.cc/step1). If you can get a few of your colleagues together, we also have strategic Workplace Organising Training?
Would the WOT be something that interests you?**• When someone asks something you don't know, don't pretend to know and make stuff up, that's how bosses treat workers - say "I don't know, but I'll find out and get back to you"
• This honesty opens up another opportunity to talk to them again and builds trust
• You can't know everything, but you need to know something about the union to be effective
SEMINARS
• Twice-monthly labour bulletins (genu.cc/category/labour-bulletin/): full of new labour laws, court cases, and news from the world of work in Japan - PDFs to download. It’s a real hidden gem.
Ever hear of this? Read it? Find it useful?
About the Giant FAQAt present, our website has a small FAQ, and the link takes you to an expanded FAQ that is currently available only in English. This FAQ is still under development and will be expanded over time.
We encourage participants in this training and all union members to send us any questions they have about the union. Questions from new members are especially valuable.
We will incorporate these questions into the FAQ and update it periodically so that it becomes a living resource that grows over time.
TRAINING DATES:
Thursday, 3 September・9月3日（木） 19:00〜20:00
Tuesday, 8 September・9月8日（火） 12:00〜13:00
Saturday, 12 September・9月12日（土） 10:00〜11:00
Wednesday, 16 September・9月16日（水） 19:00〜20:00
Sunday, 20 September・9月20日（日） 10:00〜11:00
Thursday, 24 September・9月24日（木） 19:00〜20:00
Monday, 28 September・9月28日（月） 20:00〜21:00
Wednesday, 30 September・9月30日（水） 19:00〜20:00
Monday, 5 October・10月5日（月） 20:00〜21:00
Thursday, 8 October・10月8日（木） 19:00〜20:00
Saturday, 10 October・10月10日（土） 10:00〜11:00
Thursday, 15 October・10月15日（木） 19:00〜20:00
Tuesday, 20 October・10月20日（火） 9:00〜10:00
Saturday, 24 October・10月24日（土） 10:00〜11:00
Tuesday, 27 October・10月27日（火） 19:00〜20:00
Friday, 30 October・10月30日（金） 11:00〜12:00
Wednesday, 4 November・11月4日（水） 19:00〜20:00
Sunday, 8 November・11月8日（日） 10:00〜11:00
Tuesday, 10 November・11月10日（火） 12:00〜13:00
Saturday, 14 November・11月14日（土） 10:00〜11:00
Thursday, 19 November・11月19日（木） 19:00〜20:00
Tuesday, 24 November・11月24日（火） 19:00〜20:00
Friday, 27 November・11月27日（金） 10:00〜11:00
Monday, 30 November・11月30日（月） 18:00〜19:00
Wednesday, 2 December・12月2日（水） 19:00〜20:00
Saturday, 5 December・12月5日（土） 10:00〜11:00
Tuesday, 8 December・12月8日（火） 12:00〜13:00
Thursday, 10 December・12月10日（木） 19:00〜20:00
Monday, 14 December・12月14日（月） 20:00〜21:00
Friday, 18 December・12月18日（金） 10:00〜11:00