Photo: Vice President Morooka submitted a request.
(middle right, May 12, at the Ministry of Health and Welfare.).

May 12 was "Nursing Day" and RENGO held the "Opening the 21st Century Central Rally on Medical Care and Nursing" at the Hibiya Public Hall in Tokyo. Approximately 1,500 people gathered together, representing workers from mostly the medical and nursing care professions.

Secretary General Sasamori, representing the organizers, addressed the participants stating "Neither unification of the nursing system nor reform of the medical care system has advanced due in large part to political pressure from the Japan Medical Association. Let us all be one and move government."
After the rally, RENGO Vice President Morooka, Secretary General Sasamori, RENGO Sub Committee Chairperson on Medical Care and Welfare Miyamoto, and Vice Chairs Sasaki and Miki were among those who visited the Ministry of Health and Welfare to formally request Nursing and Medical Care System Reform.

Photo: The sit-in began May 12.

The Employment Security Bill and the Dispatched Labor Law Amendment Bill are now under deliberation in the Labor Committee in the House of Representatives. The Government's Amendment Bill aims at the provisional liberalization of new dispatchment services. RENGO is concerned that if the bill passes, employment insecurity would increase due to the substitution of conventional employment, thereby deteriorating working conditions for workers overall.
RENGO has urged its own list of Seven-Point Demands and mobilized all its energy into an effort to prevent the passage of the Government's Bill. RENGO also instigated the "Angry Sit-In" in the front of the Diet, which has been continuing since May 12.

RENGO's Seven-Point Demands on the Dispatched Labor Law Revision.

(1) Expanding and Strengthening Measures to Protect the Workers.

1. Specify the client's obligation to employ dispatched workers exceeding the one-year limit and penalties.
2. Specify protection measures against unilateral canceling of dispatched laborer's contracts.
3. Specify protection measures for the privacy of dispatched workers and penalties.
4. Specify measures to guarantee social/labor insurance coverage for workers by dispatchment services and their clients.
5. Specify the client's responsibility in the event of sexual harassment in the workplace.

(2) The following items are needed for newly planned dispatch services to be used as interim policy measures to balance the supply/demand of labor.

1. Withdraw jobs in fields where labor balance has been pursued through other means and difficult to obtain jobs with good working conditions.
2. Prohibit registered dispatchment systems to restrain employment insecurity, using only a stipend-assisted dispatchment system instead.