Photo: Seeking radical reform of the medical care system.

The government is planning to submit a revised bill of the Health Insurance Law during the current Diet session. RENGO's protest activity —an angry sit-in in front of the Diet— was conducted on February 20 in opposition to the revised bill, which forces contributors and patients to bear a heavier burden without trying radical reform of the system. Despite last moment's notice, 1000 participants gathered from affiliated organizations. 68 legislators from both the House of Representatives and the House of Councilors and representing the Democratic Party of Japan, the Social Democratic Party, and the Liberal Party rushed to support the demonstrators. They united in one body directing their anger toward a "change for the worse" of the medical care system that will postpone radical reform while increasing heavier burdens.

After chanting the slogan "Oppose the raise to 30% in medical costs," General Secretary Kusano officially declared the start of the sit-in. He told the participants "the government does not touch radical reform in its medical care system reform bill, but only tried to fit it in with finance. Let us send our anger to the Diet."
22 representatives from affiliated organizations responded one after another saying, "does Prime Minister Koizumi know how much the citizens are suffering from bankruptcy and business restructuring?" "The government's bill is not radical reform but only promotes anxiety."
Later, at the "Lunchtime Rally Demanding the Realization of Safe Medical Care System Reform" President Sasamori displayed his anger saying, "we must not allow them to always shift the burden onto the weakest." He criticized the situation saying, "it is the role of politics to resolve current and future anxieties as soon as possible. The ongoing Diet has too little sense of this crisis." Furthermore, "if labor unions do not generate action, there will be no reform in Japan. I want you to take this movement back to your workplaces and local areas. Let us move politics. Let us change Japan," he strongly finished his address.
For this series of actions, 68 members from both Houses including Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Naoto Kan, Social Democratic Party leader Takako Doi, and Liberal Party House of Representatives member Takeshi Hidaka rushed to encourage the demonstrators. Secretary General Kan stated, "Prime Minister Koizumi himself is a force of opposition for solving the job problem. Without his resignation, neither economy recovery nor medical care system reform can be achieved," in this manner he declared his resolution to fight with all one's might until a change of power can be made.