Japan Press Weekly

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2009 August 26 - September 1 [LABOR]

Construction workers’ union holds its regular convention

In the opening speech, Kenkoro Chair Sato Ryoichi emphasized that putting an end to the Liberal Democratic and Komei government in the August 30 House of Representatives general election would mark a new page in the post-war history of Japanese politics.

He said that in order to establish a new government that will meet the needs of the public, the union must further increase its struggle to have the workers’ demands met.

In proposing a new action policy, Kenkoro Secretary General Sato Kazuyuki stressed the need to take drastic employment measures that will include the establishment of a new system of public job assistance and achieve a raise of the regional minimum wage to at least 1,000 yen.

In the discussion, a delegate from a dump truck branch in Tochigi Prefecture spoke about the situation in which dump truck workers can hardly carry out truck maintenance, including regular safety checks, due to low bidding price and unit-price cuts, and their movement demanding unit-price increases and eradiation of overloaded dump truck, by visiting relevant companies and calling on union members to send e-mails to the prime minister.

A delegate from Tokyo reported on a design firm’s union members’ strike over deteriorating working conditions and delays in payments of salaries. After 24 days of strike, the management of the firm decided to resign. Union members said, “We are very happy to have a union.” - Akahata, August 30-31, 2009