Industrial Action
While the situation at Berlitz is different from country to country, in Japan there has been substantial industrial action, most recently the Berlitz Japan 2007-2008 Strike organized by Begunto, which grew into the longest and largest sustained strike among language teachers in Japan. Berlitz filed suit against the union for damages it says it suffered during the strike, but the claim was rejected by the Tokyo District Court on 27 February 2012. Within a week Berlitz had appealed the ruling to the high court, with the first court date being on May 28, 2012. Talks between the company and the union continue at the High Court as of November 2012.
In 2010, employees of Berlitz language centers in Germany experienced a major labor conflict, as management planned to lay off nearly 70 contract teachers in order to economize with a staff of freelancers.
On February 8, 2011, the German management team signed a new collective bargaining agreement with the GEW, The Union for Education and Science, settling all issues.
Read more about this topic: Berlitz Corporation
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