Zenroren adopts spring struggle action policy

Japan Press Weekly

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

Zenroren adopts spring struggle action policy

The National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) on January 13-14 in Tokyo held a meeting to adopt a spring struggle action policy.

Zenroren President Daikoku Sakuji in his speech called on union leaders to carry out 2010 spring struggle actions focusing on wage increases, employment security, and a minimum wage increase to eradicate poverty and help the economy recover, and urging large corporations to fulfill their social responsibility by using their internal reserves to meet pressing social needs.

Proposing the 2010 Spring Struggle action policy, Zenroren Secretary General Odagawa Yoshikazu called for a base wage increase of over 10,000 yen and an increase of over 100 yen in the hourly wage for all workers, and presented a plan to wage a movement demanding employment security and job opportunities, which includes efforts to revise the Worker Dispatch Law and to launch a signature campaign for achieving a minimum wage increase to 1,000 yen per hour.

Following Odagawa’s proposal, delegates of Zenroren member unions exchanged views about their plans for the 2010 Spring Struggle.

A delegate of the All Japan Metal and Information Machinery Workers’ Union (JMIU) said that it is important to get big companies to use their internal reserves for an increase in wages and in subcontract unit prices, and to fight for workers’ demands when the situation is severe.

Criticizing Toyota for cutting subcontract unit prices by 30 percent, a delegate of the Aichi Prefectural Confederation of Trade Unions (Ai-roren) talked about the plan to wage a movement to protect small- and medium-sized businesses’ operations in collaboration with small- and medium-sized companies’ owners and their association.

A delegate of the National Federation of Consumers’ Cooperatives Workers’ Union (Seikyororen) reported that regarding the issue of a minimum wage increase, the union will plan to petition the lawmakers of all political parties, have meetings with relevant industrial associations, and start a signature campaign.

- Akahata, January 15, 2010