New Rengo leader to call on Zenroren for joint struggle on employment issue

Sasamori Kiyoshi, the new chair of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation
(Rengo), on October 5 set out his idea that Rengo will call on all trade
union organizations, including the National Confederation of Trade Unions
(Zenroren), to organize joint struggles exclusively related to the
employment issue, with a time limit.

This is the first call by Rengo to Zenroren for launching cooperation.

Sasamori, who was elected as new Rengo chair at Rengo's 7th National
Congress, told the press that the situation regarding employment is
affecting all workers and needs to be solved immediately.

Referring to some twists and turns that took place between Rengo and
Zenroren, Japan's two major national centers of trade unions, he proposed to
let bygones be bygones so far as the employment issue is concerned.

If the management side through group bargaining won't accept union
demands for maintaining employment, a Rengo-Zenroren joint struggle will
lift its time-limit, and develop into a full-scale nationwide joint action,
he said.

His idea isn't 'authorized' by the Rengo leadership as a whole, but he
has already given a message to this effect in Rengo's recent congress, he
added.

With almost seven million affiliates, Rengo calls for taking measures to
stop the cut in the number of employed, to increase job opportunities, and
improve the minimum standard of security for the jobless. (end)