Medical workers’ union holds its regular convention

Japan Press Weekly

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

Medical workers’ union holds its regular convention

The Japan Federation of Medical Workers’ Union (Iroren) held its 60th Regular Convention on July 27-29 in Atami City in Shizuoka Prefecture.

Iroren Chair Tanaka Chieko in her opening speech said that the union succeeded in organizing 1,600 more workers than last year, an increase for the second consecutive year.

Tanaka stated that Iroren contributed to the formulation of government policies through various means, including attracting public attention to the pressing issue of a shortage of doctors, nurses, and nursing care workers.

Proposing a new action program for next year, Iroren Secretary General Aizawa Yukitoshi pointed out that the current medical care workers’ labor environment is “insufficient to fulfill their role in protecting patients’ lives.”

He emphasized the need to limit night shift workers’ working hours to eight hours per shift and 32 hours a week, and to give night shift workers at least 16 hours of time to rest between shifts.

The new action program calls on union members to launch a signature-collection campaign urging the government to take measures to dramatically increase the number of nurses and to properly regulate the night shift.

Under the new action program, Iroren will strengthen its movement for improving medial and social welfare services and protecting public and local medical services and will make efforts to increase union membership by establishing an organization which offers an opportunity to join a union to any individual in medical, nursing care, and welfare service workplaces.

- Akahata, July 28, 2010