Japan Press Weekly

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2010 June 23 - 29 [ELECTION]

DPJ Edano falsely attacks JCP regarding trade union support

On Fuji TV’s political debate program, “Shin Hodo 2001”, responding to a question whether the DPJ can reduce the number of public workers while receiving support from their unions, Edano falsely said, “Most national government employees’ unions provide support to the JCP while very few of them support the DPJ.”

JCP Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi criticized Edano by saying, “The JCP has never compelled any organizations, including labor unions, to support the JCP. It is a lie that the JCP is backed by civil servants’ unions. Edano, you must retract that remark. The DPJ itself demands from labor unions support for their party.”

The DPJ actually urges labor unions to make their members support the party. The DPJ receives support from national public servants’ unions affiliated with the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo). The DPJ and Rengo on June 17 concluded an agreement in which Rengo pledged to fully assist the DPJ.

In the House of Councilors election, the Rengo-affiliated All Japan Prefectural and Municipal Workers’ Union (Jichiro) is providing various forms of assistance, including money and rounding up votes, to a DPJ candidate who is a former member of the union.

Some Rengo member union executives were convicted for illegally donating 1.6 million yen, collected on an almost mandatory basis from their union members, to former DPJ member of the House of Representatives Kobayashi Chiyomi.

Union in question protests Edano’s false remark

The Japan Federation of National Public Service Employees’ Unions (Kokkororen) on June 28 published a statement in protest against DPJ Edano’s remark made on the previous day on a TV program to give a false impression of the union to TV viewers.

The statement points out that the remark was made to delude the public into believing as if the Kokkororen, which consists of 22 unions with 110,000 national government employees in the Cabinet Office, seven ministries, the National Personnel Authority, courts, administrative institutions, and national university corporations, supports a specific political party.

The statement argues that since its inauguration, the Kokkororen has consistently guaranteed its members’ freedom of thought, belief, political activity, and political support.

In contrast, the DPJ has maintained a cozy tie with the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo). Referring to the fact that there have been arrests of Rengo-affiliated union members for their illegal involvement in DPJ election campaigns, the statement criticizes Edano for distorting reality and spreading lies on TV.
- Akahata, June 28, 29, 2010