Multiple technical intern trainee dispatch agencies in Vietnam are paying illegal gratuities of about 100,000 yen per trainee to representatives and others at supervising organizations (see below) in Japan whenever the organizations secure work for trainees, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
Such transactions are banned by law, prompting the Tokyo-based Organization for Technical Intern Training (OTIT) to warn noncompliant entities over possible revocation of their credentials.
According to a dispatch agency official, the gratuities are sourced from commissions that trainees paid to enter Japan. The number of Vietnamese trainees who have absconded due to debts has surged, and the Vietnamese government believes the gratuities are exacerbating their burdens.
About 2,500 nonprofit entities have been licensed by the government to operate as supervising organizations in Japan.
To send personnel to Japan, overseas dispatch agencies must be certified by their governments as "sending organizations," and must enter into a contract with a supervising organization.
The management and others at four sending organizations in Hanoi admitted to paying the gratuities. One of them, which has contracts with more than 50 supervising organizations in Japan, had paid the money for several years to representatives and others at the Japanese organizations. The sending organizations agreed in writing to pay 100,000 yen when a trainee enters Japan. Employees are reportedly told that they must make payments in order to secure a contract.
The payments began in part due to growing competition among the sending organizations. The number of Vietnamese technical trainees coming to Japan has surged in recent years to 130,000, the most among all nationalities. Similar growth was seen among sending organizations, of which there are currently about 300.
The Yomiuri Shimbun surveyed 78 supervising organizations nationwide that mainly handle personnel from Vietnam and have been certified as "excellent." Though all 61 that replied denied accepting any money, 24 said they had been offered payments.
However, the OTIT has learned of such payments and sent a written warning to all supervising organizations in December 2017. It is probing possible violations and is questioning officials at some of the supervising organizations.
Supervising organizations are banned from receiving payments under the Law on Proper Technical Intern Training and Protection of Technical Intern Trainees with offenses punishable by up to six months in prison and a maximum 300,000 yen fine. The OTIT says it will consider pursuing legal action against any offenders if the violations are confirmed.
A surge in abscondences has accompanied the growing number of trainees from Vietnam. In 2017, 3,751 trainees absconded, up by more than seven times compared to five years earlier. It is thought that many trainees borrow a large sum of money to pay commissions of about 1 million yen charged by sending organizations to enter Japan. It is believed that they resort to illegal employment in search of a higher income to pay off their debts.
-- Supervising organizations
Supervising organizations partner with overseas sending organizations. They help technical intern trainees find jobs and ensure companies faithfully conduct training. They do not operate for-profit enterprises, instead receiving fixed sums of money from companies that receive trainees. A government-run licensing system was implemented in November 2017, with accreditation granted to cooperatives formed by small and medium-sized enterprises, fisheries cooperatives and chambers of commerce.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
