Photo:President Washio gave a speech (Oct. 4, Tokyo).

On October 4, RENGO convened the 33rd Central Committee Meeting in Tokyo to endorse plans for actions for the coming year. Among the items endorsed were RENGO's Hello Work Project Plan, the 2nd Plan on Gender Equal Participation Promotion, discussion issues for promoting organization expansion, and the principles for the 19th House of Councilors election.

At the beginning of his speech, President Washio commented on a chain of business scandals indicating that "the supervising/checking function of labor unions is being partially stripped." He continued by stating "RENGO will strongly sound a warning against today's Free-Market omnipotence and work hard for the reestablishment and reexamination of industry democracy."
Proceeding, he stressed that "the 2001 Spring Struggle is indispensable." Because "in these very days of a highly diversified and fluid labor market, the role of the Spring Struggle-striving to bring society equal wages for equal labor through its influence-is all the more important." He also emphasized his eagerness to refortify the Spring Struggle. "We want to advance Spring Struggle principles which bring about reform even if by only a single step."
Further, on the abeyance of government-labor meetings and discussions with the Liberal Democratic Party on policies, President Washio concluded, "it is narrow-minded not to want to have a dialog with people holding different opinions." He added that "we will initiate an aggressive struggle to gain power at next year's House of Councilors election by sustaining the opposition, giving priority to the Democratic Party of Japan, and causing the three ruling parties to lose the majority."

The meeting continued with a special report from Secretary General Sasamori on the "Challenge to the 21st century Committee." Then there was an endorsement of the changing of executive members, the RENGO Hello Work project plan, the 2nd Plan on Gender Equal Participation Promotion, issues for study to promote organization expansion, and the principles for the 19th House of Councilors election. RENGO Hello Work will be established in November.
The 33rd Central Committee closed after adopting the following appeal, "RENGO will make progress hand in hand with all the working people to build a bright and promising society in the 21st century."

Principles for the 19th House of Councilors election (Part 1)

1.Progress and Conditions

At the 42nd House of Representatives elections held on June 25, the three ruling parties' (the Liberal Democratic Party, the New Komeito Party, and the New Conservative Party) majority of seats was drastically reduced while the numbers of the Democratic Party of Japan, the Social Democratic Party, the Liberal Party was greatly increased. However, the ruling coalition was able to keep a stable majority of 271 seats thereby continuing to maintain control of the government.

Launched by the last election, the second Mori administration began pushing ahead keeping the future House of Councilors election in mind. This included economic renewal, a review of public projects, the creation of a new bill against "the crime of lawmakers receiving money for influence-peddling" at the extraordinary Diet session. In addition, they began working on prompt establishment of reforms to the Public Offices Election Law that seeks to introduce a Flexible Slate System (allowing voters to choose either individual candidates on the party's list or the party) to the proportional representation in the House of Councilors election. (This makes it possible for a single candidate's ballots to benefit all the candidates in a given slate.)
However, along with the long postwar Liberal Democratic Party-driven political structure and within the economic and industrial structure connected to it, Japanese economic recovery has not yet been achieved. Although there is some light on the economic front, personal consumption has yet to rebound, well-known companies are going bankrupt one after another, and the road to recovery for the Japanese economy still seems far off. Further, there is severe criticism of movements for legal and other reforms motivated by political party interests, which themselves were originally a response to a wave of scandals involving LDP politicians. Popular support for the Mori administration remains low.

On the other hand, after the last general election, the Democratic Party of Japan was involved in an incident that involved the resignation of one of its members due to the misuse of a former aide's state-paid salary and shattered the public trust. Incidents such as this (that member left the Democratic Party) fan the flames of the people's distrust of national politics and now there are calls for the party to prepare to start over.

RENGO fought till the end at the last general election supporting the opposition camp's Democratic Party of Japan as a key party. It appealed for solutions to such problems as the struggling economy, a job crisis that continues to see the highest unemployment rate since the end of the war, a social security system which increases the burden and anxieties of its people, environmental problems which should be solved globally, blighted education, and so forth. Finally, however, some progress was made for the Democratic Party of Japan by increasing its number of seats, but this turned out to be a "half-way victory" by allowing the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito Party-New Conservative Party block to maintain a stable majority. Seen in that light, next July's 19th House of Councilors election will be crucial to overturn the majority parties and further, it will be a strategic election for establishing a Democratic Party-led government with the House of Representatives election coming after that.

2.The Significance and Aim of the Next House of Councilors Election

Next summer's 19th House of Councilors election will be the first national election in the 21st century. We will realize our goal of driving the three ruling parties from the majority, establishing the Democratic Party of Japan at the center of the government at the next general election after that power shift, and achieving policies that working people expect.
Also, that House of Councilors election next summer will be a first step toward RENGO's challenge in the coming century. RENGO confirmed that it will continue to challenge every field of politics, the economy and society by seeking to establish "labor-centered welfare society." The significance of the coming election is great not only in terms of a power shift but also in the achievement of an ideal society.
From this point of view, RENGO will fight for the following at the 19th House of Councilors election:

1.	Criticize the policies of the ruling coalition administration of the Liberal Democratic Party, the New Komeito Party, and the New Conservative Party and seek to achieve RENGO's policies and systems demands,
2.	Drive the three ruling parties far from the majority and establish a Democratic Party of Japan -led government at the next general election,
3.	Further integrate RENGO political activities both in name and reality based on the last House of Representatives election.

Thus, RENGO will support the Democratic Party of Japan as the primary party with all the might of our eight million unionists and work hard to reverse the power balance with the expectation that the Democratic Party of Japan will:

1.	Take a clear political stance to confront the LDP's politics,
2.	Plan for a new regime eyeing not only the House of Councilors election but also the next House of Representatives election,
3.	Make policies for workers, average citizens, and women,
4.	Create a fresh and trustworthy Party stance
5.	Make party management open and democratic,
6.	Establish firm local organizations.

Further, we will seek the achievement of a Democratic Party of Japan-led regime at the following general election.
RENGO realizes that the next year or two are extremely important for RENGO as both the House of Councilors election next summer and the House of Representatives election should be held successively. Therefore, RENGO will develop its political activity and fully integrate all of its organization's energy.

3.The Basic Idea for the Campaign

RENGO finds that (1)the current political situation makes it hard to achieve the workers desires and RENGO's policies, so (2) it is vital to create a government which can meet the demand of its workers and citizens, (3) a change in politics is needed to shift power from the ruling camp by realizing victory for the Democratic Party of Japan and other opposition parties at the House of Councilors election. Therefore, RENGO's goals are to (4) strengthen the organization and realize RENGO policies by bringing about the victory of candidates from RENGO as well as RENGO-backed candidates, (5) lead the DPJ to victory through our affiliates and local RENGO by comprehensively joining forces to enhance the synergy among the constituencies both in proportional-representation as well as the prefectural constituencies.

Considering the will of the voters as expressed in the 1995 and 1998 House of Councilors elections, the last House of Representatives election, and the results of RENGO's struggle it is quite likely that the Democratic Party of Japan-led opposition camp will obtain the majority at the upcoming election for the House of Councilors.

Hence standing on the following basic principles, RENGO expects more cooperation of the Democratic Party of Japan with the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party, and seeks the victory of all RENGO-backed candidates at the coming House of Councilors election in next July. The basic principles are:

1.	Prefectural constituencies will be the frontlines of the election. RENGO will seek victory for its recommended candidates focusing on the DPJ at the prefectural constituencies.
2.	RENGO will support the DPJ in proportional representation districts and seek sweeping victories for RENGO candidates from its organization as well as the expansion of the number of the DPJ-held seats.
3.	RENGO expects cooperation among the opposition parties and focus on fully preparing to win the election.
4.	To realize this, both affiliates and local RENGO must work hard on the campaign as a single unit.
5.	RENGO will seek the active participation from all classes in the nation as well as union members and their families.

Further, RENGO will deal carefully with its relationship with the New Komeito while watching the currents in the Diet and the election.

4.Concrete Principles

RENGO sees the following characteristics in the upcoming House of Councilors election:

1.	Coverage of the prefectural constituencies corresponds to each of the 47 prefectures enabling local RENGO (one local RENGO in each prefecture) to uniformly cope with the campaign.
2.	With few exceptions, elections at prefectural constituencies will be battles for Democratic Party of Japan candidates ultimate victory.
3.	Proportional representation elections enable RENGO to make solid activities for the campaign since many candidates from RENGO organizations will run. Therefore RENGO, with its affiliates and local RENGO, will unite as one body giving every effort to win the campaign.