Japan Press Weekly

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2012 July 4 - 10 TOP3 [CIVIL RIGHTS]

Osaka mayor proposes ordinance bill to restrict political activities of city workers

Osaka Mayor Hashimoto Toru on July 6 submitted an ordinance bill to the city assembly to prevent city workers from taking part in political activities.

The bill lists 10 items as political actions to be prohibited. They include editing or distributing organ papers of political parties, planning or organizing demonstrations, drawing up political documents, handbills or posters, and making DVDs showing political claims. Even presenting a play, if it is considered to have political message, can be banned.

If such an ordinance comes into effect, city workers will be unable to raise their voices like “Stop the reactivation of nuclear power plants” or “Stop a consumption tax hike”.

According to the bill, if city workers violate such rules, they are “dismissed in principle”.

On the same day, Yamaguchi Katsutoshi, chair of the Osaka prefectural committee of the Japanese Communist Party, gave his comments on the bill. He stressed that the bill obviously tramples on the freedom of thought, conscience, speech, assembly, association and expression, which are all guaranteed by the Constitution. He declared his intent to work to have the bill scrapped through a joint struggle with concerned citizens.

Odagawa Yoshikazu, Secretary General of the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) said, “The bill is unacceptable as it aims to weaken the labor movement through restricting the activities of trade unions.”

Jotsuka Kenshi, lawyer of the Association of Democratic Law, pointed out that it is “anachronistic” to impose strict restrictions on municipal workers’ joining in political activities. “the threat to dismiss violators is outrageous,” he added.

Ritsumeikan University Professor Okubo Shiro said, “Mayor Hashimoto intends to put the screws on city workers who serve local residents. Repressing the workers will lead to confusion in the community.”