Zenroren holds rally to revise Worker Dispatch Law

   The National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) on February 27 held a rally in the House of Representatives Dietmembers Office Building to increase the struggle calling for an overhaul of the Worker Dispatch Law. Young workers denounced the inhumane treatment of temporary workers.

   Dietmembers representing the Japanese Communist, Democratic, and Social Democratic parties, and secretaries of the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties spoke at the meeting.

   A young worker at a pharmaceutical plant said, “I was not allowed to go to the hospital when I suffered from a burn at work, and I was even beat with a metallic bat because I was unable to perform the job. I informed the staffing agency of this ill treatment, but it didn’t do anything to help me.”

   A member of the Japan Federation of Prefectural and Municipal Workers’ Unions (Jichiroren) testified that Tango City (Kyoto) government has established its own staffing agency to use them as temporary workers. “This is tantamount to denying the original mission of public employees to serve residents,” he warned.

   Speaking on behalf of the JCP, House of Councilors member Koike Akira, citing the comment Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo made in the Diet that a rapid increase in the number of day laborers is not extraordinary, said, “Let’s urge the government and business circles to agree with the need to revise the Worker Dispatch Law in the current Diet session.”

   Odagawa Yoshikazu, Zenroren secretary general, stated, “I want to call on all unions, regardless of national affiliation, to focus on the effort to get the law revised.”

   A representative of the Liaison Council for the Reduction of Social Gaps, including the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), emphasized the need for the worker dispatch law to be revised without delay.

- Akahata, February 28, 2008