NOVA - the quiet scandal

in Japan, everybody knows Nova.... from commercial to the power it oustanded. branches of Nava were in concurrence, tough job. tough limitations. tough economical surroundings.

Now NOVA is finished, bankrupt.

in the MAINICHI, the boss is said to have broken the labour laws, and is questionned about it nowadays. in the ASAHI ( you can see the article at the end of the text picture+text ) it is all question of bankruptcy...

i have been in message groups owned by NOVA teachers, the teachers and staff did not receive their salary. imaqgine your company stopping to give you your fai amount of money ? what can you do ?

other schools will beneficiate of this like BERLITZ, AEON, ECC, GEOS, so it is no worry, but the teachers .... the staff ........ what will they do ?

here is the article of ASAHI followed by the article of the MAINICHI, you make your point, you tell me.

Ex-Nova president admits wages not paid to workers

11/03/2007

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

OSAKA--Former Nova Corp. President Nozomu Sahashi admitted the language school chain withheld wages from thousands of employees, saying the now-defunct company could not raise sufficient funds, Osaka Labor Bureau sources said Friday.

The bureau interviewed Sahashi on suspicion of violating the Labor Standards Law and may seek criminal charges against him after questioning Nova's current management team.

The sources said Sahashi admitted the company owes wages to both Japanese employees and teachers from overseas.

Sahashi was questioned after Nova executives filed for bankruptcy protection from creditors under the Corporate Rehabilitation Law on Oct. 26.

According to the General Union in Osaka, which represents some of the foreign language teachers at Nova, the company did not pay salaries in September and October to about 2,300 Japanese employees. About 4,400 foreign teachers were not paid in October.

The unpaid amount is estimated at about 4 billion yen, the sources said.

The labor bureau also suspects Nova has not provided overtime payments to many of the workers, the sources said.

The Osaka Labor Bureau has instructed Nova four times to straighten out its payroll system since July, when delayed wage payments started.

On Oct. 23, the bureau interviewed two Japanese employees and two foreign language teachers and confirmed Nova had failed to provide salaries on the scheduled pay days.(IHT/Asahi: November 3,2007)

Ex-NOVA boss questioned for breaking Labor Standards Law

OSAKA -- Nozomu Sahashi, the founder of the failed NOVA Corp., has been questioned for breaking the Labor Standards Law by failing to pay his employees, government sources said.

Officials of the Osaka Labor Bureau of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry questioned Sahashi, 56, last Monday. They are considering whether to file a criminal complaint with law enforcers, accusing him of violating the Labor Standards Law.

During questioning, Sahashi admitted that the company failed to pay wages to employees. "We tried to raise the money to pay wages by all means, but we couldn't," he was quoted as telling bureau officials.

NOVA's financial situation took a dive after the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry imposed a six-month ban from making long-term contracts with students in June for its unfair business practices.

It has not paid salaries for September and October to Japanese employees and wages for October to instructors. The unpaid wages amount to about 4 billion yen.