12 September 2003

Tadayoshi Kusano
General Secretary
RENGO

1. Today, the RENGO Assessment Committee, composed of seven external members and chaired by Mr. Kouhei Nakabou, submitted to RENGO its final report containing proposals on RENGO’s overall activities.
   
   The report, as a result of a year-and-a-half discussion, rang an alarm bell to the present situation of the trade union movement and pointed out that workers and their trade unions should start with the reform in their own consciousness. Furthermore, it indicated directions of the reform with concrete recommendations, such as breakaway from enterprise-based unionism and the realisation of equal treatment for part-time workers.
   
   
2. RENGO has faced the report in a sincere and direct manner. RENGO already reflected these recommendations in draft Action Policies to be presented to RENGO’s 8th regular convention to be held in October this year and will continue reflecting them in its overall activities. RENGO has also started formulating action plans based on the principle that trade union as reliable partner of workers should realise social justice for all, as proposed by the report. RENGO will work on five challenges for coming two years. These include challenges to:
   

   -	To enlarge union membership;
   -	To address the need of atypical workers, including part-time workers;
   -	To strengthen trade union movement in locals and in small and medium enterprises;
   -	To upgrade capability to realise policy recommendations, particularly on employment social security issues;
   -	To improve working conditions and realise fair work rules.

   
   
3. The report proposed that RENGO’s actions responding Committee’s recommendations be accessed both internally and externally and next steps be planned based on such assessment. In response to this, RENGO is willing to receive comments, suggestions and harsh criticism from the external community. RENGO invited all Committee members at the end of their last meeting to play such role and they all accepted playing such role.
   
   
4. RENGO is grateful for efforts done by all Committee members. Since March last year, they all have devoted great amount of their time and effort, attending eleven Committee meetings, three public meetings, worksite visits and the RENGO Top Summer Seminar. We will repay their efforts by making steady steps responding their recommendations. As approaching the turning point of the history, RENGO will recognise the real situation surrounding itself, review the original basis of its movement and fulfil a mission to build a society where all workers and those who want to work can live peacefully.