WTU Q&A

Q1:組合に加入するための資格はありますか?
A:早稲田大学教員組合に加入できる先生方は、専任教員(任期の定めのない教授、准教授、専任講師、教諭)、特任教授、任期付教員、助教、研究員、助手、研究助手です。ただし、総長、理事、学術院長、学部長、研究科長、図書館長、学校長・学院長、評議員の方は組合加入資格を有しません。

Q1: Who is eligible to become a member of the WTU?

A: Full-time faculty members (Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors and Teachers), other Professors, Academic Staff (without tenure), Assistant Professors (without tenure), Researchers, Research Associates and Research Associates (for a research project) are eligible to become a member, while President, Executive Board members, Senior Deans, Undergraduate Deans, Deans, Library Directors, School Principals, and Board of Trustees members are not eligible.

Q2:どのような組織になっていますか?

A:本部(執行委員会、書記局、専門部)と、学術院(学部)を基本とした12の職場から成っています。総会や中央委員会で決定した方針にもとづき、日常的な組合活動については執行委員会がその任務に当たります。執行委員会をサポートし、組合業務の日常的な事務処理を行うと事務局として書記局を設けています。

Q2: How is the WTU organized?

A: The WTU consists of the headquarters (Executive Committee, Secretariat and Special Departments) and twelve faculty-/school-based works sections. Daily union operations are organized by the Executive Committee in line with policies adopted in general assemblies and Central Committee meetings. The Secretariat is in charge of handling daily paper work related to union activities and supports the Executive Committee.

Q3:組合が加盟している主な団体を教えてください。

A: 1979年4月に結成された、東京私大教連(東京地区私立大学教職員組合連合)に加盟し、首都圏の各私大教職員組合と連帯・協力し、情報交換や私大の教職員組合運動を進めています。東京私大教連は、大学の自治と学問の自由を守り、教育・研究を活性化するために教育研究集会やシンポジウムの開催、私大助成運動や専断的な大学運営をなくし、民主的な大学づくりをめざす運動にも取り組み、労働基本権の確立と教職員の権利擁護のための取り組みを進めています。

Q3: What organization does the WTU belong to mainly?

A: The WTU is a member of the Tokyo Federation of Private University Faculty and Staff Unions, which was established in April 1979, and is working in cooperation and coordination with faculty and staff unions of other private universities in the Tokyo metropolitan area to promote information sharing and joint activities between different private university unions. The federation works to protect the autonomy and academic freedom of universities and stimulate their educational and research activities, for example by hosting education and research meetings and symposiums and facilitating the further democratization of universities by campaigning for greater government subsidies for private universities and making university management less arbitrary, while taking initiatives to ensure that the basic labor rights are met and that other rights for university faculty and staff members are protected.

Q4:組合に入るとどのようなメリットがあるのでしょうか?

A:先生方の研究活動や研究成果と同じように、労働組合に加入することで得られる経済的メリットをすぐに提示することは困難です。
教員組合は、大学理事会と対等に労働条件について、大学と交渉して改善することができます。各学部等の教授会や教学会議体といった他の組織と大きく性格を異なります。教員組合は、大学理事会に対して、賃金や諸手当、福利厚生等の労働条件に関して、春闘などを通じて改善・向上を求めて要求し、交渉を行い、少しずつ改善させてきました。また、大幅な労働条件の切り下げに対しては、切り下げの不当性を明らかにさせつつ、労働条件の低下にならないよう維持改善に努めてきました。また研究条件や教育条件についても「教育研究条件に関する団体交渉(通称「教研団交」)」を通して、改善を求めています。

<最近の成果>
◯賃金・手当関係:
親族扶養手当の改定(子の手当の増額)、配偶者手当廃止に係る経過措置の実施(2016年)
専任教職員の特別一時金(2018年)
任期付・非常勤教職員本給改定(2015年2016年、2017年)

◯労働条件:
マイカー通勤の対象キャンパス拡大、支給要件の緩和(2017年)
本庄早稲田駅の新幹線利用についての緩和(2017年)

◯福利厚生関係
大学年金制度の廃止に伴う経過措置の実現
休日の授業実施日の介護・育児負担に関する特別措置の適用拡大(入試業務も含める)(2017年)
ホームヘルプ補助制度の適用対象者の拡大(2018年)

組合員個人レベルに関しては、労働条件に関わることはもちろん、福利厚生やライフプランなどについて様々な情報を得ることができます。組合員の慶事や弔事に対しては教員組合独自の慶弔規程に基づき、慶弔費をお渡しています。また教員組合では顧問弁護士とも顧問契約を締結しており、法律的に専門的な助言を必要とする場合も職場で困ったことがあったときに、相談することが出来ます。

Q4: What advantages can one gain from becoming a member of the WTU?

A: As with the research activities and findings of faculty members, it is difficult to instantly show the financial advantages that can be gained by joining the WTU.
The WTU can negotiate the working conditions for faculty members on an equal footing with the Executive Board of the university to improve them. In this regard, it is very different in nature from other university organizations such as the Faculty Committees and academic councils. The WTU has been submitting requests to the Executive Board to improve the working conditions for faculty members, such as salaries, allowances and benefits, through “shunto” spring collective bargaining and by other means, and carrying out negotiations. As a result, it has made gradual but steady improvements. At the same time, it has been fighting against the deterioration of working conditions by highlighting the unreasonableness of downgraded conditions when there are substantial declines in working conditions and by endeavoring to maintain and improve the conditions to prevent them from worsening. In addition, the WTU is working to improve the education and research environments for faculty members through collective bargaining regarding the conditions for education and research.

Recent achievements

◯Salaries and allowances:
-Improvement of the family allowance system (increased child-rearing allowances) and implementation of a transitional measure following the abolition of the spousal benefits (2016)
-Special lump-sum payments to full-time faculty and staff members (2018)
-Improvement of salaries for faculty and staff members who are working part-time or without tenure (2015, 2016 and 2017)

◯Working conditions:
-Expansion of target campus areas and relaxation of payment requirements for private commuter cars (2017)
-Relaxation of requirements for the use of Shinkansen to and from Honjō-Waseda Station (2017)

◯Welfare benefits:
-Implementation of a transitional measure following the abolition of the university pension scheme
-Expansion of the scope of application of a special measure concerning nursing care and child care when working on weekends (to cover admission-related work) (2017)
-Expansion of eligibility for the home help assistance system (2018)

Individual WTU members are granted access to a wide range of information not only about their working conditions but also about welfare benefits, life planning, and so on. The WTU also offers congratulatory and condolence payments to members in accordance with its own regulations. Furthermore, when members are in need of professional legal advice or have any concerns at work, they can consult lawyers contracted as the WTU’s legal advisors.

Q5:就業規則などに教職員や組合が関わることができるのですか?

A:早稲田大学の教職員の労働条件については、一方的に理事会が決めることは行わず、教員組合や職員組合と交渉し、合意にいたった案件については大学と労働協約を取りかわしています(労働条件に関する事項は就業規則の一部となるため、改定にあたって労働基準監督署への届出が必要となります。労働基準監督署への届出にあたっては過半数組合または労働者の過半数代表者による意見書が必要とされるため、教員組合では、職員組合と協力し、教職両組合が推薦する労働者過半数代表を推薦しています)。

一部の案件については、就業規則の意見書として意見を述べるだけでなく、大学理事会と交渉の到達点等については覚書や確認書を取り交わしています。最近の成果としては、就業規程の改定にあたって教員の職務・役割の明確化や専門業務型裁量労働制の導入については、教員の評価制度にもちいるものではないことを確認し、両高等学院の就業規程制定にあたって、今回の就業規程制定が両学院の研究条件を変更するものでなく、従来通りであることを確認しています。

Q5: Can faculty and staff members, or their unions, become involved in the development of work regulations and other conditions?

A: The Executive Board of Waseda University is not allowed to make unilateral decisions on working conditions for faculty or staff members of the university and is required to negotiate with the WTU and WSU, so that collective labor agreements can be signed with the university regarding matters that have been agreed upon. (As decisions concerning working conditions form part of the work regulations, it is necessary to report to the Labor Standards Supervision Office in order to revise them. Since this requires the university to submit a written opinion created by a majority representative, a majority union or a person representing a majority of the workers, the WTU and WSU jointly selects and recommends a person to represent a majority of the workers.)

For some matters, the WTU not only submits written opinions about the work regulations but also exchanges memorandums or letters of confirmation with the Executive Board of the university regarding the conclusions of negotiations and other necessary information. Recent achievements include confirming the addition of clear definitions of the work duties and roles of faculty members; confirming that introducing a discretionary working system for professional work in the revised work regulations does not mean that it will be used as a faculty evaluation system; and confirming that the recent establishment of work regulations for the Senior High Schools will not make any difference to the research conditions for the teachers of the schools and that they will remain the same.

Q6:理事会との団体交渉では過激な行動を行うのですか?

A:団体交渉は労働組合法で認められた正当な行為であり、暴力的な活動とは関係ありません。あくまで要求に基づいて大学に交渉を行い、理性的に大学理事会と対話を行っています。交渉には執行委員会がその任にあたりますが、組合員であれば誰でも交渉に参加でき、意見を言うことが出来ます。
教員組合は、大学理事会の進めることについて、全て反対という姿勢ではなく、必要に応じて協力し、建設的な議論の積み重ねを行うことに努めています。

Q6: Does collective bargaining mean that the WTU can take some radical action?

A: Collective bargaining is a legitimate action permitted by the Labor Union Act. It is not a violent activity. It merely involves negotiating with the university based on a written request and having reasonable talks with the Executive Board of the university. While the Executive Committee of the WTU is in charge of these negotiations, all members are allowed to participate and express their opinions.
The WTU does not always oppose what the Executive Board intends to do; we cooperate with them when necessary and seek to hold constructive discussions.

Q7:労働金庫や全労済とは何ですか?

A:労働金庫(労金)は、労働組合や生活協同組合(生協)が資金を出資し、はたらく仲間とその家族を対象とした、唯一の福祉金融機関です。他の銀行と同じように金融機関ですが、営利を目的とせず(法律でも営利目的の事業は禁止されています)福祉を重視した金融活動を展開しています。教員組合にご加入いただくことで、労金から住宅・車・教育などの低利な融資商品を利用できます。また、給与振込・財形貯蓄など労金の利用状況に応じてさらに利率が安くなるといったメリットがあります。

労金ホームページ(中央労働金庫)
http://chuo.rokin.com/

全労済は、正式名称を全国労働者共済生活協同組合連合会』といい、営利を目的としない、共済事業を行う協同組合の一つです。共済事業とは、生活を脅かすさまざまなリスクに対し、相互扶助の精神で、保険のしくみを使った事業です。生命保障や損害保障から賠償保障(マイカー共済や自賠責共済等)まで広く扱っており、比較的安い掛け金(保険料)で加入することが出来ます。

全労災ホームページ
https://www.zenrosai.coop/

Q7: What is the labor bank and ZENROSAI?

A: The labor bank (ROKIN) is the only welfare financial institution that is financed by labor unions and consumers’ cooperative (co-ops) and is targeted at fellow workers and their families. While it is a financial institution like other banks, it does not operate for profit (and is legally prohibited from doing so) and implements financial activities that focus on its members’ welfare. If you join the WTU, you will be eligible to use low-interest loan products offered by ROKIN, such as those for houses, cars and education. Another advantage is that the interest rate can be further reduced depending on your usage of ROKIN, e.g. payroll account and asset-building savings.

Official website of ROKIN (Chuo Labour Bank)
http://chuo.rokin.com/

The official name of ZENROSAI is “National Federation of Workers and Consumers Insurance Cooperatives.” It is one of those non-profit cooperatives engaged in mutual-aid programs. Mutual-aid programs refer to insurance-based programs that protect members from various risks threatening their daily lives in the spirit of mutual aid. ZENROSAI offers a wide range of policies, from life insurance and non-life insurance to liability insurance (e.g. “My Car Kyosai” and “Jibaiseki Kyosai”), which members can purchase by paying relatively low premiums.

Official website of ZENROSAI
https://www.zenrosai.coop/

Q8:組合に入ると、特定の傾向を持った政治活動に参加させられるのではないでしょうか。

A:教員組合は、組合員一人一人の政治信条を尊重します。特定政党や組織内候補の支持を組合員に義務づけたりはしません。政党への団体献金も行いません。

Q8: I am afraid that joining a labor union might lead to involvement in political activities with a specific orientation. Won’t that happen?

A: The WTU pays due respect to the political credo of each member. we do not require members to support any particular political parties or candidates from the organization. We do not make any donations to political parties either.