Vietnamese in Japan form union to support compatriots

Nguyen Van Bao, 24, deputy head of the managing committee of the Tomoiki Union, said there are many Vietnamese in Japan who cannot speak Japanese and have no one to support them.

“As such, we would like to help those in such circumstances and spread useful information so that Vietnamese know their rights if they encounter issues in Japan,” he said at a ceremony commemorating the formation of the union last week.

A union comprised of foreigners is very rare in Japan, according to the Japan Trade Union Confederation (JTUC).

The new Vietnamese union, made up of students and trainees, would utilize existing JTUC networks in Tokyo to resolve issues met by Vietnamese in the country more quickly and effectively, the confederation added.

The union would also help negotiations with companies and would also work to bridge better and easier connections with JTUC, Bao said.

“Besides supporting people and spreading information, the union also hopes to bring the opinions of Vietnamese to the Japanese government, which may lead to changes in the law to resolve issues,” he added.

Around 202,000 Vietnamese technical trainees were in Japan as of June 2021, or 63.8% of all foreign technical trainees in the country, according to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). There are around 433,000 Vietnamese living in Japan, accounting for 15.7% of all foreigners, according to the Immigration Services Agency.