Photo: "Let's bring our soundless voices into the open," says President Washio.

RENGO held its 31st Central Committee Meeting at a Tokyo hotel on November 18. President Washio began by stating his views on the following four points: (a) critical employment conditions, (b) Spring Struggle principles, (c) the Diet situation, and (d) election conditions.

Touching upon the employment situation he stated that RENGO "will use every means available to fight unemployment in small to mid-sized businesses and unorganized workers," and continued to describe in detail his ideas on the 2000 Spring Struggle. He especially emphasized that "the Spring Struggle plays the important role of providing an added-values distribution system in macro," adding that "it has a ripple-effect on society" by organizing all at once and "is a mechanism that unionists can participate and satisfy."
President Washio remarking on the so-called 'Spring Struggle Reform Debate' stated that "reform is necessary. But it is because we have the Spring Struggle system that we can perform collective bargaining all at once. Seen in this context, the Spring Struggle is 'everlasting'." Washio remarked on the 146th extraordinary Diet session severely criticizing revision of nursing care insurance, strong-arm pension reform bill deliberations, and the second supplementary budget draft. Pleaded for determination stating that "these actions are an insult to the nation. Let us give sound to the soundless voices and resist to the end."
Then, displaying a strong attitude he concluded, "if the New Komeito and the Liberal Party side with the government's outrageous platform at the extraordinary Diet session, it is quite possible that RENGO will break up its partnership with them for the next election. We intend to set our platform while observing both parties' response." He speculated that Diet dissolution was "quite possible in the middle of January." Further, he urged all unions/organizations rouse themselves and added "election is the key to fulfilling our policy demands. We know only too well how vital it is to win this election."
After Washio's speech, the Central Committee Meeting endorsed its "Action on legislation for adjustment of individual labor relation dispute-settlements" and "Principles for the 42nd House of Representatives Election." After the adoption of a special resolution and an appeal the meeting was closed.

Special Resolution Opposing Pension System Deterioration, Full Implementation of Nursing Care Insurance November 18, 1999 The 31st Central Committee The Revised Pension Bill has reached a critical point in Diet deliberations due to the unexpected development by the three ruling parties to forcibly steer the Diet. Activity on pension reform, which has evolved during three years of discussions at various organizations, is now facing a critical stage. The Basic Pension System, upon which the Japanese Pension System is based, is being emptied out turning "universal pension" into a pipe dream. We must face this critical situation head on and the following should be our agenda for pension system reform by the end of this century. We must definitively answer whether or not to keep the insurance system and disassemble the idea of "universal pension" or establish "universal pension" by switching from insurance to a tax system. But the government avoided this critical decision directly related to the backbone of pension system in the 21st century, and submitted a bill which still cuts provision levels, raises eligibility ages, and increases the peoples burden. We can only call the contents, which move away from reform, "a change for the worse." If we allow such a bill to pass there will without a doubt be more unrest among seniors, more suspicion of the pension system among the youth, and trust in the public pension system will be irrevocably lost. To top it all, the ruling parties are eyeing passage of this bill in the House of Representatives on November 25 and 26. We categorically denounce their handling of this matter not even reserving a deliberation schedule. RENGO strongly demands extensive revision of the government's bill on the following points. (1) Eradicate reductions of provision levels and the de facto abolition of wage indexation. Maintain ratios between the wages of active workers and pensions guaranteed under the current system. (2) With the prospect of the basic pensions being switched over to taxation, enforce an immediate increase of government liability on basic pensions to one half, applied by the general finances. (3) In order to save the link between employment and pension provisions, maintain the remuneration-based portion of an Employee's Pension from age 60. Also, adjust reduction rates for early pension benefits and enact corrections from the 2001 fiscal year when the raise in eligibility ages for the fixed portion will be instated. If the revisions cited above are not be carried out, RENGO will do everything in its power to scrap the government's bill. In addition, the three ruling parties agreed upon critical change to the nursing care system bringing about great confusion to workplaces in local areas and in health insurance unions. Their patchwork method of tinkering with systems clearly with only the upcoming election in mind is driving every class throughout the nation to exasperation. The government and ruling parties bear the most responsibility. RENGO, in alliance with all classes of the nation, is making an all-out effort to enact the nursing care insurance as intended at the outset. Public pensions are the mainstay for guaranteeing a living standard for the elderly common to 55 million workers. Nursing care insurance premiums will be paid from workers pensions after retirement. "Portability" and wage indexation would be fully guaranteed because it is a public pension. It is our appointed big task to preserve and reform this pension system that those who have gone before us fought so hard to bring down, sustain nursing care insurance, and secure stability and reliability for the retirement of future generations. Endorse this issue at every workplace and every region and arise for action. Let our voices ring out nationwide with the phrases "Prevent deterioration of Pension System" and "Full Implementation of Nursing Care Insurance" at the "8 Million National Action" this November 25 to December 14. We herewith resolve the aforementioned.