It was revealed on the 22nd that approximately 150 Vietnamese workers employed by the staffing agency Nexel in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, have allegedly not received at least one month’s wages. This information was disclosed by the labor union “Rengo Union Tokyo / Tomoiki Union,” to which half of these workers are members. The total unpaid wages are believed to exceed several tens of millions of yen. The Vietnamese Embassy in Japan is aware of the situation and has requested an investigation from the Toyota Labor Standards Inspection Office.
In an interview on the 12th, Nexel’s president explained that a cash flow shortage has made it difficult to pay wages. He also indicated plans to temporarily halt operations and seek the application of the government’s wage advance system for unpaid salaries. The Vietnamese workers had come to Japan under the “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” residence status, which is designated for skilled professionals.
Phan Trinh Hoang, head of the labor section at the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, stated, “Many Vietnamese workers are struggling because they have not received their wages. This is a large-scale unpaid wage case, and we are concerned about its impact.”
Nexel was established in 2022. According to the union, the company dispatches Vietnamese workers to around 30 companies, including manufacturers of automotive parts, in Aichi, Gifu, and Mie Prefectures.
