Small but advanced business managers/workers in rallies call for urgent relief measures

Japan Press Weekly

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

Small but advanced business managers/workers in rallies call for urgent relief measures

Calling on the government to take drastic measures to relieve Japan’s smaller businesses and instruct major corporations to increase orders to domestic subsidiary firms, their manager and workers jointly held rallies on November 12 in Tokyo and Osaka.

At Ota Ward in Tokyo, where small- and medium-sized businesses mostly with high skill jobs are concentrated, about 250 managers and workers from family-run businesses held a rally, followed by a demonstration march.

They were jointly calling for their businesses and employment to be secured and government counter-measures to be taken immediately.

Okushima Seiji, chair of the Democratic Merchants and Manufacturers Association (Minsho)-Ota Ward, stated, “Most of the smaller businesses in Ota, known for its highly concentrated and efficient industries, cannot break free from the current imbroglio unless urgent relief measures are taken by the government.”

There are about 4,700 smaller businesses in Ota Ward, a sharp drop from more than 9,000 in the 1980s, a yearly decrease of about ten percent.

The rally’s organizers demanded that the national and the Tokyo Metropolitan governments take urgent steps to ensure their business and jobs, revise related laws, and establish a safety net to relieve workshops on the brink of bankruptcy.

On behalf of the Japanese Communist Party, House of Representatives members Koike Akira (JCP Policy Commission chair) and Kasai Akira attended to support them. Expressing firm support for their efforts, Koike stressed the need to further press the new government to take appropriate measures.

A machine processer, 62, said, “I need subsidies for fixed costs, such as the monthly rent of my facility.”

In Osaka, about 550 managers and workers from non-major businesses held a rally, in which Aizawa Kazuhiro, vice chair of the Osaka Federation of Merchant’s and Industrialist's Organizations, gave the keynote address.

Aizawa stressed the need for managers and workers of smaller businesses to join hands in order to increase subsidies both at central and local levels of government.

A worker from the All Japan Metal and Information Machinery Workers' Union (JMIU)-Osaka declared that state budget for smaller firms must be increased drastically and state subsidies for stabilizing employments must be extended.

On behalf of the JCP, Hidei Yoshikatsu, House of Representatives member, made a speech in solidarity.

- Akahata, November 13, 2009