Labor Bureau Intervenes Against OIST in a Third Case of Unjustified Termination

In an article entitled, "OIST - Dispute Due to Termination," the Okinawa Times reported the following story on Monday, 1 April, 2019.

It has been learned that a former Japanese teacher applied for intervention by the Okinawa Labor Bureau, claiming that she was terminated unjustly at the end of her probationary period at OIST. Since February, this is the third conflict regarding employment matters in which OIST has become embroiled. As a Japanese teacher, Mitsuko Tominaga has 25 years of experience, both in Japan and overseas. In June, 2018, she was hired by OIST for an initial probationary period of three months, but that was extended for another three months. She was told by her supervisor that they were concerned about her ability to cooperate. Then she was terminated at the end of November, when the probationary period ended. Tominaga-san said, “I was terminated because of the impression of my supervisor, not on the basis of objective facts.” She also points out that OIST grievance mechanisms, including the Hotline, do not work. She added, “I have decided to tell my story publicly because I want OIST to become an organization that protects people in weak positions.” At OIST, since February, there have been other intervention applications, including one by a nurse in the Health Center and another from an employee of a different section. They all claim that it is unjust that OIST did not renew their contracts. All three are members of the OIST Faculty and Staff Association (OFSA). OIST said, “We do not make any comments about individual HR cases.”