National union center representatives discuss job security

Union members of different national affiliations met at a symposium in Tokyo on March 5 to discuss the employment issue from the viewpoint of workers at smaller businesses.

Secretary General Itoh Akinobu of the All Japan Dockworkers' Union, which has no national affiliation, proposed the establishment of a system to have large corporations fulfill their responsibility to secure subcontract workers' jobs, avoid dumping and excessive competition by major firms, and ensure that back wages of workers in small- and medium-sized businesses be paid if their employers go bankrupt.

Owaribe Nobukatsu of the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) said that Zenroren can support this proposal.

Tatsui Yoji of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) pointed out the need to reconstruct the movement not only within the framework of small- and medium-sized businesses but in local communities as well.

Nakaoka Motoaki of the National Union of General Workers affiliated with the National Trade Union Council (Zenrokyo) stressed the importance of developing cooperation between Japanese and Asian workers. (end)