Japan Press Weekly

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2015 August 26 - September 1 [POLITICS]

Dockworkers oppose war bills

Dockworkers, who are subject to private-sector cooperation in Japan’s logistics support under the proposed war legislation, have been raising their voices against the enactment of the security-related legislation by saying that they want to be neither perpetrators nor victims of war.

In response to a call by the National Federation of Dockworkers Unions of Japan (Zenkoku-kowan), an antiwar rally has been taking place at a dozen locations in Japan which include the ports of Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, and Kobe.

In Tokyo, longshoremen and harbor workers marched in demonstration on August 25. As they marched past Keio University, many students waved to the demonstrators in support of the action. Abe Sumio, Tokyo-kowan chairman, said, “Tokyo Port is for commercial use for peaceful purposes.” He called on the marchers to work hard to have the war bills scrapped.

Minato Ward assemblypersons of the Japanese Communist Party, the Social Democratic Party, and the Democratic Party of Japan sent messages of solidarity to the Tokyo rally participants.

Past related articles:
> Labor unions increasing their efforts to scrap war bills [July 22, 2015]
> War legislation aims to mobilize civilian workers [July 4, 2015]