Telecom workers resolved to fight against NTT restructuring

In its 26th National Congress from August 9-11, the Telecommunication Industry Workers' Union (Tsushin Roso) called for increasing actions to defeat the restructuring being pursued by Nippon Telegram and Telecommunication (NTT).

The telecommunication giant urged its employees 50 and over to accept retirement and select either "to be rehired at lower wages" or "be reassigned to outsourcing companies," de facto subsidiaries of NTT which started operations in May.

In response to the corporate offensive as part of its 110,000 personnel cut plan, the mainstream union, affiliated with the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), has almost accepted it, while 1,300-membered Tsushin Roso, affiliated with the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren), rose in counter attack.

Of the 691 Tsushin Roso unionists over 50, about 460 workers who rejected to retire "remained with reduced salaries," and 230 are to be removed to subsidiaries. The management appointed the 460 unionists to engage in works of different categories at distant offices.

A delegate from Shiga Prefecture said, "We've issued anti-restructuring leaflets almost every week, and together with Zenroren members delivered them to NTT workers in front of NTT offices."

Kochi Prefecture's delegate said, "Let's defeat the NTT's restructurizing plan because Japan's business circles are regarding the plan as a test case to see if a holding company may assure the highest profits."

Delegates from some prefectures, including Akita, Aichi, and Yamaguchi reported that through collective bargaining they insisted that the company take into consideration each workers' health condition and family composition. As a result, they successfully blocked the company's orders to have them redeploy and leave for new posts without families. (end)