The first Spring Struggle of the 21st century has begun. On February 9, RENGO held its "2.9 Central Rally to Declare the Start of the Spring Struggle" at the Tokyo Kosei Nenkin Kaikan with 2400 union members in attendance when demand submissions began.
At the rally, representatives from each industry firmly expressed their determination and solidified their collective wills to support the Spring Struggle.

Photo:"Attain jobs and pay hikes," says President Washio.

Representing the organizers RENGO Chairman Washio opened the rally by expressing his determination to fight to obtain the fullest pay raise amount within the present condition of improved company profits.
He further asked that we continue the struggle keeping in mind the importance of the following: "There has been no positive results for the correction of differentials. This is the first year that we are demanding wage increases for part-time workers."
He strongly criticized political corruption saying, "politics have a responsibility to remove the instability from our future, under no circumstances can we allow corruption in them." Expressing his determination to gain both employment and wages he continued, "uncertainty over the future can only be done away with after employment is secured."
In key proposals, RENGO Secretary General Sasamori appealed to participants that "RENGO will continue to build the Spring Struggle in the 21st century" and emphasized that "we will conduct reforms based on it."
Following that, representatives from each group from A to D, small to mid-sized unions and local unions, and representatives for part-time workers were introduced and manifested their will to fight.
RENGO Vice President Suzuki told attendees to "fight under the watchword Get Angry Metal Workers." RENGO Vice President Takagi said "business recovery was brought about through the efforts of the union members" and RENGO Vice President Tsubone said, "we want to bring out new results with our new demands." RENGO Vice President Morooka said, "government and the private sector should take action together to correct differentials." RENGO Saitama's Vice Secretary General Komoda said that they would "take action this year again for movement on local minimum wages." All- Japan Prefectural and Municipal Workers' Union's Part-time workers representative Kitamura said, "I am very pleased that wage raises for part-time workers is being demanded."
The rally then adopted the opening declaration of the struggle and closed with the participants' brisk shout for solidarity powerfully led by RENGO Deputy President Enomoto.

2001 Spring Struggle Opening Declaration The 2001 Spring Struggle is launched. Even as we enter the new century workers continue to face job insecurity, earning instability, and anxiety over the future. On the one hand, business has advanced restructuring and corporate buyouts, and many industries have begun to return to their highest corporate performance levels since the crash of the bubble economy. RENGO seeks a fair allotment for our efforts at work and, in addition to securing "maintenance of the wage curve," we will continue to fight with all our collective might to obtain a 1%+ increase in gross base salary and to spread the benchmark to the society. This Spring Struggle is a forum that will solidify the worker's collective will and create a new current of struggle, otherwise known as "reforms," in the workplace. One of these currents is that all unions should develop a unified agreement struggle from the workplace by submitting demands including wage raises, shorter working hours, and extension of employment. Another current includes that all unions demand a wage increase for part-time workers as a social responsibility of labor unions and struggle to seek that goal. Through our actions, we should expand and deepen the Spring Struggle to become the struggle for all of Japan's workers, non-union laborers and part-time workers included. Also, we should reform it so that it creates a "welfare society with labor at its core" and a "better standard of living" worthy of the new century. The KSD incident and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Cabinet slush fund scandal have been discovered once again exposing money-for-influence politics at the Diet and the government levels. Right now the 2001 fiscal year budget and various bills are being submitted to the Diet. These bills continue to be for the politics and policies that protect greed as usual, and they turn their back on the suffering and general unrest of Japanese citizens. In order to root out corruption in the ruling political parties, RENGO will go to every length to seek out all allegations of influence peddling. Our plan for the government budget is centered on policies that create 1.4 million jobs and a safe social security, and at the same time seek to realize the "Career and Home Balance Assistance Law." RENGO will gather together all of the voices participating in this Spring Struggle that seek to improve their lives and jobs, and we will pave the way for the larger battle for wage increases, shorter working hours, and extended employment. RENGO will gather the voices of citizens angry over political corruption and will thoroughly condemn money-for-influence politics. We will also reform politics and policies into ones that will create jobs and a safe social security. RENGO will advance this great work and create a new kind of politics for Japanese citizens replacing LDP politics in the coming House of Councilors election. Only our own "might and action" can cut open the way toward creating new society that values living standards and political reform. Making this rally as the starting point, we appeal to all of our comrade workers to participate in the Spring Struggle. Through our might and action, let us build a new secure society, stable lifestyles and employment. This is our pledge.