Japan Press Weekly

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2008 August 20 - 26 [LABOR]

Zenroren urges government to take measures to help reduce hardships

Representatives of the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) on August 25 visited the Cabinet Office to submit a letter to Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo calling for measures to be taken to end the crisis of living conditions as it exacerbates due to the rising cost of living.

The Zenroren letter called on the government to give up the so-called “structural reform” policy, a major cause of the increasing poverty rate. It also called for steps to secure jobs and improve and develop institutions guaranteeing workers and the public a minimum standard of living.

Zenroren urged the government to take emergency steps to: (1) stop the employment situation from worsening due to the soaring prices of oil and raw materials; (2) put prices of daily necessities and oil products under control; (3) provide financial support to workers in coping with the rising fuel costs; (4) increase assistance to small- and medium-sized companies through restricting unit-price cuts to be paid to suppliers; (5) increase pension benefits and livelihood protection benefits reflecting the soaring prices; and (6) review the taxation system in order to protect people’s living standards. - Akahata, August 26, 2008