- RENGO received a briefing on falstised reports Tokyo Electric Power Company
today from the Federation of Electric Power Related Industry Worker's Unions of
Japan and the TEPCO Workers’ Union. There are reportedly sixteen cases of
TEPCO’s conccealing or altering reports on damages found during self-inspection
and maintenance and they were all done systematically. These are acts of treason
against the whole population and should not be excused.
- The TEPCO Workers’ Union has been requesting the company to manage the
business on the basis of social confidence and endeavouring to establish the security
of nuclear power and safe workplaces, particularly through labour-management consultations
and the safety and health committee. However, it is regrettable that the Union
did not sense these dishonest acts.
The TEPCO must stop three remaining power plants in addition to five plants under
suspension with a view to preventing a reocurrence and immediately implement inspecion
on them. The company must put in practice steadily the preventive measures that
it has proposed.
- The administration of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency of the Ministry
of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) is also put into question. It is pointed
that the Agency recognized falstised reports of the TEPCO and took 2 years for
the inspection. The Agency is also blamed for allowing the company to contibue
the operation of power plants without taking any necessary safety measures, even
after recognising that the company violates facilities-maintenance standards.
Furthermore, an immediate examination should be done in order to strengthen functions
of the Agency and the Nuclear Safety Council in safety regulation.
- At the same time, the TEPCO Workers’ Union should do some soul-searching,
taking into serious consideration that it was not able to prevent the illegal
acts even though it have been engaged in a series of labour-management consultations.
Rengo should respond to this problem seriously. It will strive to prevent such
a case from happening and ensure that any accident or dishonest act be disclosed
without delay, in cooperation its industrial affiliates and enterprise-based unions.
Rengo will struggle to improve trade unions’ function to monitor corporate
social responsibilities.
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