On the 17th, RENGO endorsed preliminary drafts of both "FY 2001-2003 Demands and Proposals for Policies/Systems" and "FY 2001-2002 RENGO Demands for Policies with Priority" at the 22nd Central Executive Committee Meeting. Both plans will be discussed on June 12th/13th at the Policies/Systems Debate Meeting and formally submitted at the 35th Central Committee Meeting. RENGO further decided to create an explanatory version of its "Demands for Policies with Priority" for use as educational materials in order to deepen the understanding of its union members. This explanatory document rearranges twenty-two policies into ten and it is expected to be distributed at workplaces through affiliated organizations and local RENGO. The ten priority policy demands that form the base of this document are listed below.

1. Advance revision of the current financial structure that is unable to dispel lifestyle anxiety, a major shift in responsibility for public works to local governments, a switch to an expenditure structure that supports citizen's needs such as social security and the environment, and financial structure reform that includes comprehensive income taxation and consumption tax reform. Regarding the tax system, take the lead to make income taxation comprehensive and introduce a taxpayer identification number system soon. Further, promote solving tax profits on consumption tax and correcting unfair taxation. Also lay down a mid to long-term financial structure reform plan with the goal of establishing a "Welfare-oriented Economic Society," and conduct an evaluation of the administration by establishing a Japanese version of GAO (General Accounting Office of the U.S.) (a committee to monitor and evaluate administration and finance [tentative]).
   
   
2. To insure the stabilization of the finance system, announce the amounts of bad debt incurred by financial institutions intelligibly to the citizens, and lay down a "plan for disposal of bad debt," which follows a criteria for its disposal, and actually dispose of it. At that time, drastically enforce measures to prevent unemployment such as strengthening labor credit ensuring measures and job skill development.
   Further, while making efforts to increase consumption see that the actual economy will be recovered.
   
   
3. Along with thoroughly enforcing a fair working standard and clearing out infractions of the law, conduct the following:
   (1) Revise the Labor Standards Act by regulating overtime work, raising overtime rates, and so forth.
   (2) Revise the Labor Union Law on the issue of holding company's employership over workers in affiliate companies.
   (3) Improve labor contract system by regulating dismissals, etc.
   (4) Create legislation for equal employment.
   (5) Create legislation of a worker representatives system. Also create a system to resolve individual labor disputes.
   Meanwhile, we do not recognize any relaxation of regulations regarding employment/labor of dispatched and discretionary labor put out by the government's Administrative Reform Committee.
   
   
4. To remove differentials between regular and part-time or dispatched workers, formally create legislation that stops discriminatory labor conditions due to type of employment. At the same time, lower part-time workers application standards (hours worked/number of days worked) for pension benefits/social insurance medical coverage to "over half" of what regular workers make and lower income level requirements to admit non-working dependents to "less than 650,000 yen annually." Also seek employment insurance that completely covers part-time workers. In addition, exempt travel expenses from taxation.
   
   
5. Rebuild a safe and reliable pension/medical system. To insure that all citizens have safe and reliable public pensions, government liability on basic pensions should immediately be raised to one half and insurance premiums should be lowered to prevent a "hollowing out" of the national pension fund. (lower monthly National Pension insurance payments by \3,000 and employee's welfare pension insurance premiums by 1%.)
   Further, conduct medical system reform to restructure medical consulting fees from billing for actual treatment costs to a comprehensive (flat fee) system. Also create a new medical system for senior citizens. Until that time, increase the public liability for elderly health care contribution from 30% to 50% to lighten the burden on insurers. See systemization of the disclosure of patient's medical files and bills for medical services rendered, also make it mandatory for doctors/medical organizations to issue clearly itemized receipts and explanation of medicines, what medical services were rendered and what medications were prescribed.
   
   
6. Expand childcare services to meet various needs such as overtime childcare, daycare for sick children, and so forth. Immediately eliminate the wait for admission to childcare centers and expand after-school childcare. Make it mandatory for day-care centers not approved by the authorities to notify to the authorities and work to grasp real conditions and to provide information.
   To help workers balance between work and home, change the Childcare/Nursing Care Leave Law to the "Career and Home Balance Assistance Law," and include the following:
   Expand the Childcare/Nursing Care Leave Law to include all workers.
   Make a shorter working hour system for childcare/nursing care mandatory.
   Institutionalize exemption from overtime work.
   Institutionalize exemption from work on holidays and other irregular work patterns.
   Create a new child nursing care leave and family nursing care leave plans.
   Expand a relief system for late-night labor.
   Create measures to promote fathers' taking paternity leaves.
   Further, seek to raise payment during childcare/nursing care leave to 60%.
   
   
7. For the sake of creating a sustainable circulatory society, establish social system that restrains waste and properly manages disposal. And to protect against global warming, work for the ratification and enforcement of the Kyoto Protocol in 2002. Seek the goal of reducing 6% of all global warming gasses produced in Japan by 2010 through combining economic approaches such as taxation and bargaining over emission amounts.
   
   
8. In order to realize education that invigorates children seek early implementation of the "basic plan for education development" that includes the allocation of teachers and the improvement of facilities. At the same time, push forward to entrench and improve the school councilor system, fractionalization of educational fields through reducing the authority of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and reform of the Board of Education system. Also advance the establishment of schools that nurture and are nurtured by local communities.
   
   
9. Look for a complete reallocation of legislative seats based on the number of constituencies. The disparity in value of one vote in national elections will remain within a 2 to 1 ratio for the present time.
   
   
10. Establish basic labor rights for civil servants and revise the Civil Servant System into a fair, neutral, and transparent system that responds to the needs of citizens and information disclosure.