NTT workers stage sit-in to protest against NTT's 110,000 job cut plan

In front of the head office in Tokyo of NTT, Japan's largest
telecommunications group, about 1,200 NTT workers staged a sit-in on
November 2 in protest against its plan to slash 110,000 jobs.

The sit-in was organized by the Telecommunication Industry Workers' Union
(Tsushin-roso), which is affiliated with the National Confederation of Trade
Unions (Zenroren).

The NTT Group announced a restructuring plan last April which includes
transferring 110,000 out of its 164,000 employees to affiliate companies
that are to be established. The company also plans to force about 58,000
workers who are 50 and over to retire at the end of March 2002 and have the
new companies hire them in April with wages reduced by 15-30 percent.

The NTT Workers' Union which organizes the majority of NTT workers has
announced it will accept the restructuring plan.

But Iwasaki Shun, Tsushin-roso chair, criticized the NTT management for
acting against laws, work rules, and labor agreements. He said,
"Tsushin-roso will never cooperate with NTT in the restructuring.
Tsushin-roso members will fight together to protect all NTT workers and
their families."

Kumagai Kanemichi, Zenroren Task Force on the Struggle against NTT
Restructuring secretary, said that the restructuring can't be allowed
because NTT wants to shift the responsibility for losses of several hundred
billion yen incurred by its affiliate companies in the U.S. and the
Netherlands onto the workers.

Japanese Communist Party House of Councilors Member Miyamoto Takeshi made
a speech, encouraging the NTT workers in the sit-in. (end)