Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2016 January 27 - February 2 [LABOR]

JMIU and telecommunication workers’ union form a new union

The All-Japan Metal and Information Machinery Workers’ Union (JMIU) and the Telecommunication Industry Workers’ Union (Tsushin-roso), both affiliated with the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren), have amalgamated and formed a new union with 6,500 members.

Under a situation where the development of information technology promoted a fusion of the manufacturing sector and the information/telecommunication sector, JMIU and Tsushin-roso have worked closely together on various occasions to increase the unionization of workers.

The newly-formed Japan Metal, Manufacturing, Information and Telecommunication Workers’ Union (JMITU) on January 31 held its inaugural conference in Tokyo. At the conference, the union decided on organizing a strike, if necessary, in order to win a drastic wage hike, abolish the war laws, and prevent the relaxation of labor laws. The conference elected Ikuma Shigemi as JMITU chair, Miki Ryoichi as JMITU secretary general, and other union officers.

JMITU Chair Ikuma stressed the significance of the union’s inauguration. He called on union members to work hard to achieve a success in this year’s spring wage offensive (shunto). He also pointed out the need for making utmost efforts to support opposition parties’ move to work together in the coming Upper House election and work to help create a peaceful society.

In this year’s annual spring wage struggle, JMITU will demand a monthly wage increase of at least 30,000 yen and an increase of at least 180 yen in the hourly wage for workers in the metal and manufacturing sectors and a wage increase of at least 28,000 yen a month or 250 yen an hour for telecommunication industry workers.