2010 June 30 - July 6 [
LABOR]
Workers call for effective use of corporate internal reserves
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February 4, 2010
About 100 union workers on February 3 held a rally in front of the head office of Canon Inc., calling for the effective use of corporate internal reserves to benefit the general public. Canon Chairman Mitarai Fujio currently heads the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren).
Participants chanted, “Use your internal reserves for wage hikes and job security! Fulfill corporate social responsibility to expand domestic demand to overcome the economic crisis!”
The event was part of the 2010 Spring Struggle actions organized by the People’s Spring Struggle Joint Committee that includes the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren).
Odagawa Yoshikazu, organizer of this event, pointed out that there has been a sharp increase in the use of non-regular workers with lowered wages while major corporations’ internal reserves have increased by 100 trillion yen in the past decade.
A worker said, “I wish large corporations were willing to use part of their internal reserves for workers and subcontractors.”
A staff member of an organization working to address homeless problems said, “If the period of eligibility for unemployment insurance expires due to the prolonged economic recession, the unemployed have to turn to their savings. Once they run out of money, these people become homeless. It is important to provide more supportive measures to individuals in such dire straits.”
- Akahata, February 4, 2010
