Japan Press Weekly

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2016 July 27 - August 2 TOP3 [LABOR]

Zenroren resolves to put end to Abe’s runaway policies and win substantial minimum wage increase

The National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) on July 30 ended its 28th Convention held from July 28 in Tokyo after adopting a two-year action program which seeks to win a bottom-up wage increase focusing on a minimum wage hike, block constitutional revision, and achieve a 1.5 million membership.

On the first day of the three-day convention, after presenting the new action program, Zenroren Secretary General Inoue Hisashi called on Zenroren members to actively conduct organizational build up and increase Zenroren membership to 1.5 million by the next convention. Inoue also proposed to achieve a substantial minimum wage increase through revitalization of local economies and to foil PM Abe’s attempt to revise the pacifist Constitution by forcing him to resign.

In discussions, delegates from industrial and local Zenroren organizations exchanged opinions and experiences in their struggles against the government’s anti-people policies such as the promotion of pro-business deregulation and nuclear power generation.

A delegate from the All-Japan Federation of Automobile Transport Workers’ Unions (Jiko-soren) reported that in contrast to the world trend, the Abe government intends to deregulate the taxi industry and allow unlicensed taxicabs to pick up passengers under the name of promoting “ride-sharing”.

A delegate from Kagoshima Prefecture reported about the victory of a joint anti-nuclear power candidate in the gubernatorial election on July 10.

A delegate from Okinawa said that the Abe administration is pushing forward with the construction of U.S. military facilities in Takae and Henoko just after the defeat of Okinawa affairs minister in the Upper House election, and called for nationwide efforts to increase public awareness of this issue.

On the final day, the Convention elected a new leadership, including re-elected Zenroren President Odagawa Yoshikazu and Secretary General Inoue Hisashi.

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Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira delivered a speech in solidarity on the first day of the Zenroren Convention.

Koike said that the national movement to repeal the war legislation has brought about a new perception of the labor movement. Koike pointed out that unions, regardless of their national center affiliation, have made joint efforts and played a major role in the All-Out Action Committee against the war laws. With this experience, citizens have begun connecting with unions, changed their views on unions’ social roles, and developed trust with unions, Koike added.

Koike noted that in addition to the introduction of a “zero-overtime payment” system, the Abe government is intending to abolish the current tripartite policy-making system in the labor issues, and stressed the need to strengthen efforts to block this move.

Citing Zenroren’s role in joint struggles against constitutional revision, TPP, Abenomics, nuclear power generation, and U.S. military bases, Koike said that the JCP will work hard together with Zenroren to put an end to Abe’s runaway policies.

Past related articles:
> Civil Alliance opposing war legislation kicks off street campaign [January 6, 2016]
> Labor unions increasing their efforts to scrap war bills [July 22, 2015]
> Zenroren resolves to struggle to bring down Abe gov’t [July 30, 2014]