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Direction of RENGO
(adopted at the inaugural Convention, 21st November 1989) |
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| Tasks and Missions |
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| Tides toward Unification of Labor Front and Their Significance |
(1) Japan's modern trade union movement has a history of about 90 years; (2) the postwar trade union movement began with labor forces split into two; in December 1982, the Japanese Private Sector Trade Union Council (Zenmin Rokyo) was formed, which in 1987 was replaced by the Japanese Private Sector Trade Union Confederation; and (4) the unification of the labor front was achieved with the formation of RENGO.
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| Environment Surrounding Trade Union Movement and Problems Involved |
(1) Japan has grown into the No. 2 economic power in the world; (2) the employment situation has improved little; (3) the further improvement and consolidation of "strength and policies;" (4) Japan's greater role and responsibilities in the elimination of international economic friction; (5) the exertion of maximum efforts to improve the unionization rate; (6) a commitment to the preservation of the global environment; and the responsibilities, fully aware of the importance of RENGO's mission.
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| Role and Responsibilities of RENGO |
(1) Establishment of the organization on a solid footing; (2) realization of Japan's peaceful development and lasting world peace; (3) realization of sexual equality in all fields; (4) consolidation of "strength and policies," and fulfillment of social responsibilities as trade union organization; (5) defining the wage struggle as part of the struggle for a better life; (6) narrowing differentials in working conditions between employees of small and large business enterprises and between part-time workers and regular employees; (7) establishment of comprehensive and far-sighted labor countermeasures, establishment of lifelong education and other spiritual and cultural activities; (8) strengthening and expansion of the organization; (9) ending the downward trend in the unionization rate, and integration of the total strength of RENGO and its local organizations; (10) establishment of regional organizations; (11) improvement of social systems, and establishment of independent welfare and mutual aid systems on a comprehensive basis; (12) changing political currents; and (13) activities as a member of the ICFTU.
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Moves Toward a Unified Labor Front and
Their Significance |
1. The modern trade union movement in Japan has a history of about 90
years, including more than 40 years after World War II.
The Japanese trade union movement, reorganized during the chaotic postwar
conditions, contributed vastly, during its nearly half a century of postwar
history, to the establishment of democracy and improvements in working conditions
and trade unions themselves also attained steady growth.
However, the path followed by the movement was in no way easy; it was
conversely difficult and thorny.
2. The postwar trade union movement began with two major labor organizations
divided by mutual distrust and political confrontations that remained from
prewar days. Until the first half of the 1950s, the nation's labor fronts
went through repeated division and reorganizations because of ideological
differences. Behind this was the intolerable covert and overt interference
of a specific political party committed to Marxist-Leninism.
3. There were moves to unify the nation„s labor fronts in and after the
1960s also, but attempts to establish a unified labor front foundered on
the climate of ideological confrontations between trade union organizations
and their mutual distrust.
However, with the 1973 oil shock as the catalyst, the trade unions were
called upon to cope with the low growth of the Japanese economy and changes
in the nation„s industrial and social structures. As a result, there arose,
among private sector trade unions, a common perception transcending the
framework of labor organizations. They thus grappled resolutely with the
unification of the divided labor fronts while promoting mutual trust. And
on December 14, 1982, the Japanese Private Sector Trade Union Council was
formed, and on November 20, 1987, it was reorganized into the Japanese Private
Sector Trade Union Confederation, marking a solid step toward the formation
of a unified labor front.
4. We had repeatedly exerted strenuous efforts to achieve this purpose,
understanding that the establishment of a unified labor front was indispensable
to the strengthening and development of the trade union movement, from the
standpoint of coping with changes in the working environment and meeting
the expectations of the workers and the people.
And this time, we have organized the Japanese Trade Union Confederation
(RENGO) as a result of promoting mutual trust between private sector trade
unions and public sector trade unions.
Thus, the unification of labor fronts--the long-cherished dream of the
Japanese trade union movement--has been realized, shedding rays of hope
on a new era of the trade union movement.
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| Environment and Problems Surrounding the
Trade Union Movement |
1. After World War II, the Japanese economy attained phenomenal expansion
and development, with the result that Japan has grown into the world's second
largest economic power accounting for 10 percent of world GNP. And the working
conditions in Japan have also steadily improved through the acceleration
of labor struggles (spring labor offensives and wage negotiations) for higher
wages in particular.
In the intervening years, an oil crisis twice hit the world and the value
of the yen sharply rose against the dollar, but the Japanese economy successfully
coped with ensuing difficulties thanks to the appropriate actions of trade
unions, and also to Japan's work force. As a result, Japan fared better
than foreign countries.
2. However, as can be clearly seen from an unchecked rise in living costs
and prolonged working hours, the workers' standards of living in real terms
have not kept pace with the national economy and corporate performances
despite labor's efforts toward policy and institutional improvements, including
annual wage increases. Again, differentials between large and small businesses
are even showing a tendency to expand.
On the other hand, business and economic organizations are only intent
on curbing wage increases on the stereotyped pretext of the "Productivity
Standard Principle," and have forced Japanese workers to exercise restraint.
This is tantamount to management relinquishing its responsibility for the
future of the nation's economy and industry.
3. The economic and financial management based on a diminishing equilibrium,
carried out in the 1980s by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party government
under its financial reconstruction policy, combined with the freezing of
the Personnel Authority's recommendations on wage increases for public service
personnel, and curbs on wage increases for private sector workers to bring
about stagnation in domestic demand, more intense trade friction, a depression
resulting from the yen's appreciation, industrial and employment "hollowing-out," a decline in the regional economy, and employment mismatches. At the same
time, distortions in terms of land and housing price spirals widened as
a result of a concentration of national activities in Tokyo. Still worse,
setbacks in welfare and social security systems, including pension and medical
care security, gave rise to greater uncertainties for an aging society.
Given the ever-expanding gap between the economy and living standards,
and an ever-increasing sense of inequities, there is a greater need to step
up further the "power and policy" of the trade union movement,
including the greater advancement of our struggle for policy and institutional
improvements, from the standpoint of improving general standards of living
as well as upgrading approaches to the betterment of working conditions,
including higher wages and shorter working hours.
4. On the other hand, Japan has faced a serious problem in terms of international
economic friction. Japan's role and responsibilities in the global economy
and in the international community are ever increasing in importance with
the Japanese weight in that economy augmenting. In view of this, there is
a need for Japan to contribute to the well-balanced development of world
economies and step up its assistance to and cooperation in developing countries
while attaining economic growth based on an equilibrium of external and
internal demands, and the government and industry are urged to positively
address these problems. Again, international expectations on Japan's trade
union movement are fast mounting.
5. Furthermore, in Japan, the industrial structure is undergoing rapid
transformation as a result of the national economy growing increasingly
software- and service-oriented, and technological innovation and information-intensiveness
attaining wider dissemination. Parallel to this, the employment structure,
too, is about to go through wide-ranging changes including the diversification
of work and employment patterns.
In these circumstances, the unionization rate has continued to drop,
causing concern that the relative momentum of the trade union movement may
be lost. Because of this, we must go flat out to promote the unionization
of unorganized workers and improve the rate of unionization of such workers.
Meanwhile, the shortcomings and weaknesses of enterprise-based unions
have been actually brought to the surface by the expansion of the scope
of the trade union movement. In order to overcome these problems, industry-based
unions must be strengthened and expanded through reorganization and unification.
6. We will do everything within our power to protect our living and working
environments and preserve our beautiful national land by stemming random
development projects which can result in the destruction of nature and cause
environmental pollution, and by also preventing new forms of environmental
pollution caused by new chemical substances. Again, it is important for
us to grapple with all our might to preserve the global environment by saving
our sole spaceship, "The Earth," in cooperation with various countries
of the world, in view of the grim fact that environmental destruction is
threatening mankind in terms of the destruction of the ozone layer, and
the increasing greenhouse effect, destruction of forests, further desertification,
and contamination of the seas and rivers.
7. In addition, at present in Japan, society is aging at an unparalleled
speed in world history, and how to cope with the situation has become a
great problem for Japan from the standpoint of sustaining its national vitality
and a welfare society rich in humanity.
The changing population structure has already not only affected citizens'
lives, regional society and education but also the working environment.
And we are strongly called upon to cope realistically with the situation
in anticipation of dynamic economic and social changes due to technological
innovation, greater information-intensiveness, progressive aging and further
internationalization, and this has also given rise to expectations on RENGO.
RENGO, in a bid to meet these expectations, will fulfill its role and
responsibilities, fully aware of its mission.
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| Role and Responsibilities of RENGO |
1. As a national center both in name and reality with a broad spectrum
of functions and roles to fulfill, we will exert every possible effort to
strengthen and expand the free and democratic trade union movement while
promoting mutual understanding and mutual trust among affiliates.
And acting on a firm resolve not to repeat past mistakes, we will, while
maintaining trade union autonomy, establish a solid organization-based trade
unionism by eliminating all forms of control and intervention from outside.
We will oppose uncompromisingly the attempts of any group or organization
to unilaterally label our efforts to establish a unified labor front as
being rightist-oriented, level dogmatic reproaches at us and obstruct our
activities.
2. We will realize Japan's greater peaceful development based on democracy
and lasting world peace by stepping up our solidarity with the workers in
Japan and worldwide.
To this end, we will eliminate both leftist and rightist totalitarianism,
defend democracy and realize a free, equal, fair and peaceful society.
3. We will vigorously grapple with the realization of sexual equality
in all areas of society, improvements in the employment and working conditions
of women, establishment of full-fledged security for working mothers, and
improvements in the social environment. Hence, we will push ahead with activities
aimed at the creation of a society based on sexual equality, including the
promotion of working women„s active participation in trade unions and in
all areas of activity.
4. We will vigorously push forward with our demands for policy and institutional
changes with a view to elevating the living standards of workers as a whole
while stepping up our "power and policies" parallel to activities
at workplace, industrial and community levels.
In a determined move to fulfill our social responsibilities as a trade
union organization by formulating policies concerning problems which are
vitally associated with the people's lives, such as the revitalization of
regional society on the basis of participation and decentralization, and
the well-balanced development of economic society on both national and local
levels, building a consensus, and stepping up activities to realize and
enact legislation for such policies.
5. We will define our wage struggle as part of a comprehensive struggle
for a better life, and stage activities to realize the higher living standards
of workers in real terms.
At the same time, we will push ahead with activities directed toward
the improvement of working conditions, including the shortening of working
hours.
To this end, we will, while strengthening the bargaining power of our
affiliates, organize our struggle on the basis of their strength (in terms
of bargaining power and strikes) and thereby ensure the greater advancement
of our struggle.
6. The weight and role smaller enterprises occupy in the Japanese economy
are extremely significant. Again, the importance of part-time workers is
increasing.
We will strive to reduce differentials in working conditions, including
wages and working hours, from the standpoint of stabilizing the employment
and livelihood of workers employed by smaller enterprises, and elevating
their standards of living. At the same time, we will make efforts to establish
and implement policies to stabilize and bolster the foundations of enterprises.
7. We will establish comprehensive countermeasures based on an outlook
for the 21st century and do all we can to promote them by precisely grasping
economic and social structural changes, including technological innovation,
progressive aging of the population, information-intensiveness and internationalization.
Again, in response to the changing awareness of the workforce we will
wrestle positively with spiritual and cultural activities for the improvement
of their welfare and the expansion of their spare time, and also the establishment
of their lifelong education.
8. We will strengthen the solidarity of trade unions and make efforts
to bolster and expand their organizations with due regard for the presence
of "our fellow workers."
To achieve this end, we will strive for the reorganization and unification
of industry-based trade unions and for the expansion of our membership while
deepening the mutual understanding and trust of affiliates, thereby building
closer cooperative relations.
9. In order to put a brake on the downward trend in the unionization
rate of unorganized labor and boost such a rate, we will make efforts to
organize industry-based and enterprise-based trade unions on a more solid
basis, and solidify, at the same time, the strength of RENGO at national
and local levels.
Again, we, in an effort to improve the working conditions, including
wages and working hours, of unorganized workers, will strive to improve
the status of workers as a whole in economic, social and political realms
by enabling the nonunionized workers to benefit from the fruits of our struggle
for better working conditions.
10. In order to fulfill our mission, we will strengthen our national
and local organizations for the integration of their activities.
11. Mutual aid for workers and the improvement of their welfare underlie
the trade union movement, and we will forge ahead with trade unions' independent
welfare promotion campaigns. By taking due account of the diversified values
and changes in the workers' living conditions, we will improve social systems
relating to pensions, medical care and welfare, and establish, at the same
time, independent welfare and mutual aid systems on a comprehensive basis
in the interests of workers as a whole, thereby enabling them to make their
life designs more fulfilling.
12. A look at Japan's present-day politics shows tangible signs of change
developing in the undercurrent of the long-term reins of government by the
Liberal Democratic Party, but new political influences, which are capable
of fundamentally changing the current political situation, have yet to emerge
as the opposition parties remain divided.
In these circumstances, RENGO must fulfill the role of a new catalyst
to reverse the nation's political current.
We will strengthen our lobbying influence, well aware of the importance
of the role the trade unions should fulfill.
In order to achieve this objective, we will cooperate, wherever necessary,
with political parties and organizations with which we share the same objectives,
policies and demands in pushing ahead with our activities while mutually
respecting each other's autonomy.
As regards which political party to support, we will leave it up to the
judgment of our affiliates.
13. With the progress of economic and political internationalization,
we must fulfill our role and responsibilities commensurate with Japan's
economic strength, in the international trade union movement.
And to this end, we, as a member of the ICFTU(presently ITUC), will, while bolstering
our solidarity with workers all over the world, forge ahead with vigorous
activities for the realization of lasting world peace, for the establishment
of fair international labor standards and for the formation of a new order
in international economic society.
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