| Promotion of 2 Types
of Work Sharing: Variable Employment and Emergency Response Accord Reached at Gov-Labor-Management Study Meeting on Work Sharing (12 April 2002) |
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Japanese workers have continued
to face unfair downsizing, the threat of losing their jobs because due
to bankruptcies, and anxiety over employment and living standards, all
of which are repercussions of the stagnant economy. Now the anger of our
fellow workers has finally reached its peak.
President Sasamori explained the General Action as "an action that gathers everything of the people and is conducted by the only national center in the country." He further stressed that current actions are part of a larger general action—the start of a war. RENGO will use this occasion to continue to strongly urge the government to change its policies for the people. |
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| 4.10 Central Pep Rally Appeal | ||||||
| Starting this week we have developed general actions in across the nation
and on April 10, we mobilized in Tokyo. We have only one goal: to thrust
the anger of the workers directly upon the National Diet and the government.
Our workers' living standards are in a critical condition. Due to unreasonable downsizing, anxiety over employment and living standards has become more serious. There seems to be no end to employers who wield the axe. Our hopes for the future are threatened by repeated poor revisions of the social security system. This year's budget established in March offers no relief for either the Japanese economy or job insecurity. The Japanese government turns a deaf ear to its citizen's claims for radical reform of the medical care system, pursuing instead a worsening of the system that only foists a larger burden on the people. We can no longer endure this! We won't be deceived! RENGO members have been working to secure and create employment with all of our resources, including activities for "resolutions seeking a breakthrough in the employment crisis" and the Hello Work questionnaire drive conducted at public employment agencies. We will persistently question the responsibility of employers who forcibly fire workers. RENGO will use every effort to stop the bill that will worsen the medical care system. We have been working on various movements at workplaces and in local regions such as the "Ten Million Signature Drive to Demand Drastic Reform for a Safe Medical Care System" and Nationwide Street Campaign activities. We will hand deliver those signatures from across the country to both the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the House of Councilors President on April 11. The government should receive the opinions of workers and citizens facing employment/living standard insecurity honestly and convert its policies from prioritizing fiscal reconstruction to those that expand domestic demand/economic recovery. The government should prepare a supplementary budget immediately and implement urgent measures to dissolve employment insecurity. RENGO began the national action in coordination with people from every level gathering their angry voices from every workplace and local region in order to seek policy changes for job maintenance/creation through recovering economy. We will orchestrate this angry wave into a larger movement. Only our might and action can reverse these policies and open up a bright future. Now is the time to mobilize the full potential of RENGO. Let us accomplish our demands. |
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| 2 Days of General Actions | ||||||
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| RENGO-backed Lawmakers Rally (4/10) On April 10, at the Diet Upper House members' building President Sasamori asked RENGO-backed lawmakers for understanding and cooperation for the before-the-Diet-activity the following day. Over 170 Diet members gathered from the Democratic Party of Japan, Social Democratic Party, Liberal Democratic Party and others. Demand Breakthrough of Job Crisis to the Ministry of HLW (4/10) On April 10 RENGO conducted a rally and demand activity at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to maintain jobs and fundamentally strengthen unemployment measures. 14 representatives from local RENGO attended the activity. On that occasion they submitted to the Ministry more than 10,000 "Resolutions to Seek a Breakthrough in the Job Crisis," representing demands from as many unions nationwide. Street Activity for Democratization of "Kurashi-no-tomo" Company On April 8, when General Action Week began, ZENSEN (Japanese federation of Textile, Garment, Chemical, Commercial, Food and Allied Industries Workers' Union), RENGO Tokyo, and RENGO headquarters conducted a street campaign at Kamata Station, Tokyo to normalize labor-management relations in the Kurashi-no-tomo Group. Union officials in the group are unfairly suffering in a labor dispute with the company. Demonstrators wore placards demonstrating their local concerns. (April 10, Hibiya) |
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| NPOs and NGOs joined the sit-in. (April 11) Responding to the demand, lawmakers from the Democratic, Social Democratic, and Liberal Parties expressed their strong support. (April 11, Lower House visitors area) Demonstrators combined into a large mass at the angry lunch meeting covering the street before the National Diet with 5,800 workers. (April 11) Representatives from regional blocs make demands of opposition party lawmakers Prior to the sit-in and the demand demonstration on April 11, representatives from regional blocs conducted an activity seeking urgent economy/employment measures. Demands from each local region submitted during RENGO "Action Route 47" were attached to the demand statement and handed to opposition party lawmakers. Some representatives responded tartly to lawmakers that "members of the National Diet are picking on them over scandals while people are looking for jobs. Is this sort of Japanese politics acceptable?" |
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| "We Won't Give An Inch"Make Stubborn Movements Regional Bloc Representative Statement at Central Pep Rally |
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| On April 10, 13,500 people gathered for the "General Action: 4.10
Central Pep Rally" from NPOs and NGOs nationwide, including TAISHOKUSHA
RENGO (Japanese Federation of Senior and Retired Organizations), HAKEN
RODO Network (Dispatched Labor Network), Tokyo Union, local RENGO and
affiliated organizations. The area around the Hibiya Amphitheater, the
venue of the rally, was packed with fellow workers wearing "Angry
Base-Up Bear" masks and participants for the Ginza Parade, both of
which started at the same time. At the start of the rally, President Sasamori introduced Action Route 47 opinion exchange grievances such as "we cannot allow Koizumi's structural reform that leaves local regions in the lurch" which were expressed even from employers. Sasamori severely criticized the Koizumi Cabinet saying, "What sort of structural reform tramples down its own struggling citizens?" He further stressed the need for government policy change for all employed workers as well as every citizen. Democratic Party of Japan President Hatoyama, Social Democratic Party Secretary General Fukushima, and Liberal Party Secretary General Fujii came for support. Each of them strongly appealed for a change of administration saying, "the citizens were deceived by the Koizumi Cabinet," "Koizumi's structural reform is nothing but abandonment of the local regions, workers, women, and the nation." Representatives from RENGO regional blocs also expressed their resolutions saying, "we won't give an inch! It is time to conduct stubbornly resistant movements." Further, RENGO Okayama President Morimoto reported on the demand activity to the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare conducted before the rally. He disclosed his anger stating, "the contents offered by the ministry were extremely regrettable, thoroughly inhumane." Finally, the rally appeal was read by RENGO General Secretary Kusano and endorsed by unanimous applause. Sasamori closed the rally by leading the crowd in a "let-us-unite" cheer. Attendees then joined in the Ginza parade both marching and appealing to passersby while chanting such slogans as "Say ‘No' to reform that ignores people's lives!" and "The government must change its policies!" |
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| "Listen Carefully to Our Voices" Pres. Sasamori Appeals to Diet Members at Lunchtime Rally |
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| On April 11, the second day of the rally, 5,800 participants were divided
in two groups to conduct actions. The area around the Diet building bustled
with people from all over the country who wanted to participate in the
petition demonstration and sit-in. Demonstrators, including approximately
4,000 participants from the Kanto, Tokai, Kinki, and Shikoku blocs, marched
from Hibiya to the National Diet building. They held rallies in visitor
areas of both the Upper and Lower Houses and strengthened their alliances
with lawmakers from the Democratic, Social Democratic, and Liberal Parties
of Japan. At noon, all the demonstrators converged in front of the Diet during the "Angry Lunch time Rally" which rounded out two days of general actions. President Sasamori delivered his speech over a microphone saying, "it has been 13 years since RENGO established and this is the first time we have ever had a Diet action of this scale with the participation of other national organizations including NPOs and NGOs. We want Diet members listen carefully to our voices." President Sasamori continued by severely chastising the current administration's responsibility for bringing about grave situation that generates 10,000 unemployed and 50 bankruptcies a day. He appealed to the crowd by saying, "We don't need this sort of government. We need an administration that listens to its citizens!" He urged the crowd to continue movements in the future that would seek policy changes adding, "our actions do not end today." 74 Diet members from both Houses rushed to the rally, including Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Kan, Social Democratic Party Secretary General Fukushima, General Assembly Chairman of the Liberal Party House of Councilors Members Nishioka. Each stated their determination by saying, "we will join forces to put Japan back in its feet," "We will make an effort to build a society where that which is right is worthwhile," "We will be sure to get your message and seek policy changes that secure employment." Closing the general action, President Sasamori led the crowd in a three-part cheer. "We Can No Longer Endure---We Won't be Deceived General Action" ended its two-day agenda with the strong voices of workers echoing around the Diet building. |
