On January 14, RENGO endorsed the "Summary of the 2nd Intensive Action for Organization Expansion and the Plan for the Future" at the 20th Central Executive Committee Meeting. The summary states RENGO will promote the organization of workers in various forms of work and the immediate examination of the system in order to raise unionization rates and union organization rates.

[Future Plans]

1. Ever since the present 'organization expansion plan' was finalized, RENGO has worked to promote various actions while emphasizing repeatedly that Industrial Federations should take the lead in expanding organization. RENGO headquarters has played its role fully, acted in cooperation with local RENGO, established regional unions to complement organization, posted a local advisory system (with currently 60 people enrolled), enhanced PR campaigns and the labor telephone helpline, and continued working on the financial support system.
   In a speech delivered at a New Year Reception, RENGO President Washio again clarified that RENGO would decisively struggle for organization expansion. RENGO will work harder to expand actions to full-scale, RENGO-wide everyday movement while securing jobs for union members and preventing their loss of members due to established branches and temporary transfer.
   Unionization rates within companies are clearly decreasing due to moves away from regular employment to part-time and dispatched labor. In order to boost businesses unionization rates and union organization rates, RENGO will promote the organization of workers in various forms of work and examine the system as soon as possible.
2. Industrial Federations are always the nucleus of organization expanding actions.
   Industrial Federations should:
   (1) Draw definite limits for organizing corporate groups and associated companies. Set firm goals for expansion including trade unions and companies within the same industry.
   (2) Post full-time officers to expand organization. We will expect ingenuity such as training and educating organizers and support systems by the retired RENGO who have a considerable knowledge of organizing. Clarify work responsibilities for local organizations. Make visible progress, such as research for closer cooperation with RENGO headquarters and local RENGO.
   (3) Those in charge need to show highly motivated leadership so organization expansion is always being discussed in ways that decision-making organizations and various meetings can check/exchange information for actions.
   (4) Combined industrial federations need to make renewed efforts to improve the appeal of industrial federations through revitalizing the operation of sectional meetings and so forth.
3. After experiencing the second intensive action, the twelve priority regions are now able to grasp the current conditions in the local organizations of industrial federations and what problems which need to be overcome.
   Among 35 local RENGO, those that operated these intensive actions were also able to raise issues that specifically local organizations of industrial federations should deal with. The total number of participants in PR campaigns has risen. Of those participants the number of union officials have gradually become the majority.
   To link those results to unionization, local RENGO officials, local council officials and local advisors solidly strive for the following.
   (1) The help lines' advisory activities (toll free 0120-154-052) should go beyond being merely offering advice, but be actively linked to unionization.
   (2) Research and make lists of target companies for organization and submit that information to industrial federations.
   (3) RENGO will work closely with industrial federations to encourage non-affiliated organizations and non-union companies to unionize.
   (4) The creation and expansion of regional unions.
   (5) Press forward for the success of PR campaigns and intensive organizing activities within intensive organization expansion actions.
4. The last term for execution of the plan is from October 1998 to the end of September 1999. Reaching our goal of 1,100,000 members is daunting, but that will prove to be a period in which we may expect to see some concrete results. Those results would include action that increases awareness for the necessity of organization expansion which our total membership has been working for, and any other such action that would create an environment to make that possible. We will always and consciously try to link every single action to expansion drives. We push for the 3rd Intensive Action, which is set for the first part of June.
   RENGO Headquarters will encourage joint action among constituent organizations and local RENGO exchanging opinions more intimately.
5. As local RENGO have keenly pointed out, there are "other issues" that need to be dealt with such as "members linked only to RENGO without linking with local RENGO."
   Problems derive from various practices such as: no appropriate local organization for certain unit unions, joining together with local RENGO where unit union head offices of are located, becoming members of local RENGO where unit union branches are located.
   RENGO will look into the actual conditions and seek to provide a base for solving the problems while consulting with constituent organizations about the results of its research.
6. Each industrial federation has a role as "an organizational body covering whole workers in relevant industry" as stated in RENGO's principle, and expected to post full-time staff in charge of expanding organization at each of its headquarters and local offices. Another significant problem that must be solved in order to expand organization are the "plural industrial federations for one industry." This usually amounts to little more than an excuse for not joining RENGO industrial federations. It is becoming more necessary to promote unification and concentration of industrial federations.
   RENGO will more deeply examine unification procedures at organizational meetings while keeping the next Regular Convention in mind.
   The supposed procedures would be 1) the reorganization and concentration of unions which compose the groups of each constitutional organization, unions which form the International Trade Union Secretariat Japanese Council, and industry grouped unions and 2) to maintain a size which will allow the current constitutional organization to more freely perform its function as an organization that gathers unions from same industry. Each idea will be studied for its features, advantages, difficulty, feasibility and necessary support system from RENGO headquarters.