July 25, 2008
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2008 July 23 - 29 [LABOR]
JCP Ichida speaks at Zenroren convention |
On behalf of the Japanese Communist Party, I would like to express our heartfelt solidarity with Zenroren on the occasion of its 23rd Convention.
Analyzing the political situation that emerged as a result of the House of Councilors election last year, we said, “A new political process of a new era has begun in which the people pursue new policies replacing the current ones promoted by the ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties.” When we said this, we heard some say that we were bluffing. However, political changes that we have witnessed in the past year have proved our analysis to be correct.
The struggle to establish a law to protect temporary workers and changes regarding temporary workers
We proposed a bill to strengthen the regulation of the use of temporary labor by drastically revising the Worker Dispatch Law into one of protecting temporary workers. Other opposition parties have also submitted similar bills. The ruling parties are also expected to submit to the next extraordinary Diet session a bill to prohibit the use of temporary workers for day labor. The prevalence of the use of temporary labor was triggered by the 1999 legislative measure that removed restrictions to allow most business sectors to use temporary labor. At the time, all parties except the JCP were in favor of the law’s revision. In this regard, what we are witnessing today is a sea change.
Under these circumstances, some major manufacturers have begun to change their policies in order to directly hire those who have been working as temporary workers.
A Canon executive in charge of personnel affairs recently told JCP Chair Shii Kazuo that the company “deeply regrets” that it had been using temporary workers in the guise of “independent contractors” and promised that the company will stop using temporary workers by the end of this year.
It is the tenacious struggle by the JCP and trade unions that has made this change possible. In the autumn of 2006, I used my question time in the House of Councilors to expose the widespread use of temporary workers disguised as independent contractors.
At the time, Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) Chairman Mitarai Fujio [who is also Canon chairperson] said, “The problem is the law,” calling for it to be revised to make it legal to use temporary workers in the guise of independent contractors. Times have change!
Of course, it is not without reservation that we welcome these changes. The major task is for us to win legislative measures to protect temporary workers and shift those who are working as fixed-term workers and independent contractors to full-time positions that assure them long-term and stable jobs. Let us continue to work hard with confidence that a steadfast workers’ struggle led by Zenroren has brought about the changes we are witnessing today.
New medical insurance system for the elderly aged 75 and over-JCP has opposed it since it was proposed 8 years ago
Another political change has taken place over the new medical care system for the elderly aged 75 and over.
We joined forces and succeeded in having the House of Councilors approve the bill to abolish it.
The problem began eight years ago, in November 2000, when the House of Councilors Health and Welfare Committee passed a resolution calling for the “establishment of a new medical care system for the elderly”, which was jointly adopted by the Liberal Democratic, Komei, Democratic, and Social Democratic parties. The JCP did not climb on the bandwagon.
At the JCP 22nd Congress, also in November 2000, we called for a struggle in opposition to the initiative, saying, “If the proposed new medical-care system is introduced, the elderly will face hardships, including a mandatory payment of insurance premiums. It will endanger the constitutional right to live a secure life (Article 25).”
It is obvious that the tenacious struggle by the Japan Federation of Medical Workers' Unions (Iroren) and other Zenroren-affiliated unions, and other democratic organizations, including the Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions (Min’niren) and the Japanese Medical and Dental Practitioners for Improvement of Medical Care (Hodanren), as well as citizens has contributed to the political changes that have taken place.
Movement to defend Article 9 is making progress
The movement against the adverse revision of the Constitution, particularly in defense of the war-renouncing Article 9, has made important progress.
Joint centers for the struggle to stop the constitutional revision have been established. The number of grassroots Article 9 Associations has reached 7,000. In the most recent opinion survey on the Constitution conducted by the Yomiuri Shimbun, a newspaper advocating constitutional change, the number of respondents who expressed opposition to constitutional revision was higher than that of those who support it for the first time in 15 years.
Zenroren has played an important role in bringing about these changes in public opinion. Zenroren’s effort in defense of the interests of the people has enormously inspired many other democratic organizations and individuals in the struggle over labor laws, the struggle against adverse reform in medical insurance and social services, and the struggle to defend the Constitution and peace.
Zenroren movement with the principles of ‘independence from capital and any political party and joint action on agreed demands’ has gained in strength
Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of Zenroren’s founding. Zenroren came into being as a national center that stands for the basic principles of the trade union movement: independence from capital, independence from political parties, and joint action on agreed demands. Based on these principles, Zenroren has for 20 years built the movement while consistently pursuing joint action to achieve the urgent demands of workers. It is my belief that these Zenroren efforts have produced the power to bring about changes in the current political situation.
I suppose that the House of Representatives general election may be held within a year. Mass media will incite the idea that at issue is choosing a political party capable of taking power. However, experience shows that if we are to realize the pressing demands of workers and the public in general, we should focus on changing policies, not changing the guard.
In order to fulfill the mandate from the people, the JCP will do its utmost to move away from Liberal Democratic Party politics and create a new politics that puts the people’s interests first.
I hope that Zenroren will observe its 20th anniversary by making major progress in the effort to increase its membership and develop the movement in line with the slogan adopted at the time of inauguration, “The banner of ambition to create the 21st century in firm solidarity”. - Akahata, July 25, 2008
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