RENGO endorsed its 3rd Urgent Policy for the 2001 Spring Struggle at the 3rd Central Struggle Committee on February 8.

1. Current Circumstances

(1) Economics / Business

At the end of January, the Japanese government announced prospects for Japanese real economy growth in the 2000 fiscal year at 1.2% and 1.7% for the 2001 fiscal year. These figures forecast three consecutive years of positive growth and economic expansion from the 1999 fiscal year. Looking into one's own backyard, productive activities are sluggish because of export stagnation and a decrease in public investment, and it is now an emergent goal to increase private consumption for the self-recovery of the Japanese economy.
According to the RENGO Research Institute for Advancement of Living Standards (JTUC-RIALS) 2nd simulation, Japan should be able to anticipate 2% growth which is nearly the potential growth if financial policies that stress income improvement, employment and welfare are achieved. However, if personnel costs are cut and finances tightened, the economy will stall and fall into negative growth again.
Looking at corporate performance overall however, it is expected to mark its highest gains since the collapse of the bubble economy (after the 1993 settlement of accounts). Ordinary profits by about 70% of the listed companies this fiscal year are expected to exceed last year's, and more than 20% of the companies will see their highest levels since the collapse of the bubble economy (of 3428 companies listed in the "Quarterly Corporate Report.")

(2) Employment / Living Standard

Worker's household incomes and consumption is recovering slowly. Household incomes, disposable incomes, and consumption expenditures in the year 2000 all showed negative growth for three consecutive years according to the "Household Expenditure Survey" conducted by the Statistics Bureau /Statistics Center of the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications. The decline in these basic figures of income and consumption are leveling off, but have not yet improved.
Job conditions are also still severe with the unemployment rate for 2000 marking a record high level of 4.7% for the second consecutive year since the start of the survey. December's unemployment rate is rising to 4.8% and shows no sign of improving.

2.Each Industrial Federation's Activities

Each industrial federation has almost finished deciding their principles of activities, so we are expecting each union's demand submissions to finish by the end of February. Activities to maintain the wage curve are progressing compared to last year, and so is the exchange information and opinions at each industry's liaison councils.

3.Urgent Struggle Strategy

(1) Information Disclosure

1. Conduct the first demands summary on February 26. Regarding major unions registered to RENGO, make public data from each unit union available either on RENGO's homepage or other sources.
   
2. When some unions already registered to RENGO pass over their demands on wages for various reasons, be sure to secure the portion they will be able to obtain from their wage curve and see that their actual conditions are made clear.

(2) Activities to Maintain Wage Curves

1. To best publicize to each union, each industrial federation and local RENGO will conduct study sessions and workshops on activities to maintain wage curves.
   
2. RENGO will strive to build a social environment. We will also disclose average estimates for last year's wage curve maintained portion (34-5 years old) from RENGO real conditions survey as a reference at the time of summary for the first demands.

(3) Wage Hikes for Part-time Workers and Others

1. Each industrial federation and local RENGO will increase their support for activities setting pay raise demands and submitting them for part-time workers at each unit union and local union.
   
2. RENGO will hold a part-time workers rally on February 27 (tentative) to raise social awareness.

(4) Activities to Shorten Working Hours and Extend Employment

1. RENGO will conduct a demands summary and answers summary on the rate of premiums for overtime work and employment extension for pay hike demands.
   
2. RENGO held a "Employment Extension System Seminar for those over 60" on February 6 in an effort to strengthen employment extension activities.

(5) Setting the Peak Period and Drawing Responses

1. Establish an "all-out" stance making as many unions as possible draw responses during the peak period of March 14-16, which was set to fortify the readiness of self-support by industry and business. In order to do this coordinate that unions draw responses through industrial liaison councils by February 27.
   
2. Further, coordinate concentration of unions in drawing responses in the period before March 23, as well as the period at the end of March, at the Expanded Tactical Committee or the industrial liaison councils.
   
3. To coordinate these activities, each industrial liaison council will hold meetings by February 27 to conduct exchanges of opinions and information.