Make Activities to Monitor Health, Welfare, and Labour Committee ‘Anti-Negative Changes to Labor Standards/Worker Dispatch Laws Movement’ at Diet (16 May 2003)

Currently, bills for the revision of the Labor Standards Law and Worker Dispatch Law are being deliberated at the National Diet. RENGO has strongly opposed the government’s bills that seek to legislate rules making it easier to dismiss workers and those that make it easier for management to use workers as they please. On May 9, RENGO held its 22nd Central Executive Committee Meeting where it decided to take action at the Diet to stop negative changes to labor legislation. From this point on, RENGO will pursue its activities at the Diet with support from affiliated organizations and local RENGO, focusing on monitoring the Health, Welfare and Labour Committee (scheduled to meet every Wednesday and Friday). The Labor Standards Law and Worker Dispatch Law revision bills are key parts of the latter half of the current 156th ordinary Diet session. The first bill was introduced at the House of Representatives Plenary Session on Tuesday, May 6, while the second bill entered into deliberations in the House of Representatives Health, Welfare and Labour Committee on Wednesday, May 7. RENGO will proceed with activities to lobby the Diet session by monitoring the deliberations, conducting rallies in the Diet’s Visitors Area, and other activities at the peak period of deliberation to protest negative changes to labor legislation and to beef up activities for achieving RENGO demands at the Diet.

1. Monitoring Actions (1) Monitoring the Health, Welfare and Labour Committee [1] In principle, RENGO will monitor the House of Representatives Health, Welfare and Labour Committee as an action at every regular Wednesday and Friday meeting day. [2] The date and the time to meet will be announced in writing each time. [3] Registration for committee monitoring will be conducted at RENGO until 3pm, the day before each meeting. (For more information contact: Dispatch Law Desk: Employment Division, RENGO HQ, (03)5295-0519 or Labor Standards Law Desk: Labor Legislation Division, RENGO HQ, (03)5295-0518. The fax number for both divisions is: 5295-0545.) (2) Rallies in the Diet’s Visitor Areas Deliberation monitors will conduct rallies just prior to the opening and after adjournment of the Health, Welfare and Labour Committee. (3) Required Number of Monitors The desired number of monitors for both morning and afternoon committee sessions are: two people from organizations with high-ranking RENGO officials (President, Acting & Vice Presidents, General & Assistant General Secretaries), more than one person from organizations with Central Executive Committee members, and one person from other organizations. 2. Rallies, etc. * Mid-late May Dovetail actions with the peak of discussions by the Health, Welfare and Labour Committee on Labor Standards Law. * Thursday, May 29, from 6:30pm “Pep Rally Against Negative Changes to the Labor Standards/Workers Dispatch Laws” Petition Demonstration at Hibiya Amphitheater in Tokyo. 3. Schedule of the Health, Welfare and Labour Committee The scheduled committee session dates are: May 16 (Fri), 21 (Wed), 23 (Fri), 28 (Wed), and 30 (Fri). Scheduled times are: 9:00am - 12:00pm, 1:00pm - 4:00pm.

Current Domestic Actions