JMIU holds national congress

The All-Japan Metal and Information Machinery Workers' Union (JMIU) held its 28th National Congress from July 21- 22 in Shizuoka Prefecture and adopted an action program against corporate restructuring.

At a time when the raison d'etre and role of the trade union is called into question amid a storm of "corporate restructuring," the JMIU decided to strengthen its organizational structure.

To get more effective results, JMIU called for not only efforts of a union alone within a company but also industrial unions' joint efforts evolving around collective bargaining and concerted strikes.

In the discussions, many reported that the importance of a workers' union is becoming obvious in workplaces and local communities. Examples follow:

"Our manager disappeared after issuing a dishonored check. Both workers and managerial staff established a union to get overdue wages paid and we've so far secured 50 to 60 percent of wages payable." (Kanagawa Prefecture)

"Because, the company said, it lost about 2.4 billion yen (about 20-million dollars) in stock dealings, the management didn't offer us annual wage rise. We as an industrial union had negotiations with the company many times and won a 4,800 yen (40-dollar) monthly wage increase." (Osaka)

"Pressed by the company to voluntarily leave or to get dismissed, the union asked for Labor Relations Commission mediation and held study meetings for all the employees. As a result, all the union members secured the continuation of their jobs." (Nippon Roll Mfg. Co., Ltd.) (end)