 Private railway unions pledge to prevent constitutional revisionThe General Federation of Private Railway Workers' Unions of Japan (Shitetsu-soren) in its 71st regular convention held on August 4 in Takayama City in Gifu Prefecture called on the unions to lead the struggle to prevent the Constitution from being adversely revised. It is rather extraordinary for the federation affiliated with the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), which is under the strong influence of the Democratic Party of Japan, to propose such a struggle. Shitetsu-soren was established in 1947 when the Constitution came in force. Apprehending the recent fast moves toward constitutional revision, the Shitetsu-soren chair called for a struggle to prevent it by arousing public opinion opposing it. He said that trade unions must not act only for better working conditions but also for changing the social structure for the better. He said that the federation will also call for the Self-Defense Forces to be withdrawn from Iraq and for the Iraqi occupation to end. (end) |