labor

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Union leaders criticize Koizumi's election strategy

Labor unions published statements on September 12 criticizing Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro for making the postal privatization scheme the only issue in the election campaign in order to deflect public attention from other important issues.

Bannai Mitsuo, secretary-general of the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren), stated, "The election results do not indicate that the citizens gave the Koizumi cabinet a blank check on issues other than the postal privatization over the next 4 years."

Bannai pointed out that the LDP could win an absolute majority in the House of Representatives thanks to the single-seat constituency system that will exclude the opinions of many voters.

Bannai said that it is unavoidable that Koizumi's "structural reform" policy, serving the United States and Japanese large corporations, will increase the gap between the rich and the rest.

Kusano Tadayoshi, secretary-general of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), stated that Koizumi "continuously avoided discussing significant issues which should be dealt with before postal privatization. Such an election strategy should not be allowed by the ruling party." -- Akahata, September 14, 2005