Important Document
A RENGO Movement to Open Up the 21st Century (Gist)
RENGO Vision for the 21st Century
October 4, 2000
Special Report to the RENGO 7th Regular Convention
Chapter 1 Facing the Present Situation and Our Tasks
In the 21st century, we will face the challenges of change and uncertainty. Under a situation of economic globalization and mega-competition, a belief in the market as panacea is spreading; if things continue, Japan will become an unstable and severe society. On the other hand, however, if trade unions are able to demonstrate our function of representing working people, and to take part in steering the times, we will be able to create opportunities and possibilities.

    Today, the environment and conditions surrounding us are ones of great ongoing changes: (1) the advent of an aging society with few children; (2) economic globalization; (3) the development of the IT revolution; and (4) global environmental problems. Both labor and society are being transformed as well, and the past pattern of orienting our lives around enterprises is being shaken.

    Japanese trade unions, while preserving the strong points of company-centered unionism, should overcome the limitation of tending to remain within the framework of the enterprise. We must work to create systems which go become company-centrism and focus on the stability of life and society.

1. Issues Confronting Us



Chapter 2 The Society We Aim For 
The society we aim for is a “welfare society centered around labor,” where all people are guaranteed employment opportunities and fair working conditions, and with safety nets which allow people to do what they want to do without anxiety.

    In order to accomplish this, we face the important tasks of not only rebuilding a policy for full employment, but also creating fair work rules that make diverse working styles possible with long-term employment as the base. There is also a need for an employment and working system suited to an age where people live into their eighties, and a new way of working where family and working life can be balanced. An important strategic task for accomplishing this is the shortening of working hours.

    Also, in order to strengthen industrial democracy, we must aim to institutionalize a system of employee representation, and try to establish social partnerships to carry out responsible dialogues and consultations at all levels.

    We will build sustainable welfare and social security systems based on the participation and consensus of the people.

2. The Society We Aim For



Chapter 3 How To Achieve Our Goals 
Trade unions must of course establish the framework of working conditions through collective bargaining, but they must also provide support for individuals who aim to improve their professional abilities to be autonomous, and they must increase their attractive power. The participation of women and young people will be the key to invigorating trade unions in the 21st century.

    We must strengthen the functions of organizations at all levels -- by invigorating negotiation and consultation functions at the company level, strengthening union federations within corporate groups, unifying industrial federations, and improving RENGO’s policy-proposing functions -- and mobilize our power into a unified movement. Moreover, we must concentrate all our human and financial resources into organizing efforts, and carry out a major campaign for organizational expansion adopting new forms, such as community and craft unions, and new methods such as cyber-unions.

    At the same time, we must strive to create policies and institutions that can achieve the long-term interests of working people, strengthen our political activities, and increase our international solidarity activities to respond to globalization.

3. How to achieve our goals: A path toward realization