1. Worker's living standards are facing severe conditions: decreased exports since the summer of 2000, stagnant corporate profits, and other factors have kept the economy sluggish as well as four straight years of income declines and the worst unemployment since the World War II.
   We expect a fourth straight year of nominal negative growth in 2001 and real growth is also expected to drop to minus 1% growth. Further, negative growth is guaranteed for the 2002 fiscal year and there is growing concern over a deflationary spiral.
   The jobless rate reached 5% in July 2001 and is still growing. It broke the worst record of 5.5% in November and further deterioration is anticipated. Job conditions have fallen into such a crisis that the number of those who lost their jobs due to the convenience of corporations now exceeds 1.2 million and unemployment rates for males under 24 and over 60 years of age exceeds 10%.
   
   
2. The government passed the second FY 2001 supplementary budget plan and the FY 2002 budget plan last December. The second supplementary budget plan, however, remains around ¥2.5 trillion, which is not expected to realize economic recovery.
   The proposed FY 2002 budget draft (¥81 trillion 230billion for the general accounting budget, a 1.7% decrease from the previous year) prioritizes financial reconstruction under the Koizumi Cabinet's principle of capping issuance of new government bonds at ¥30 trillion. The plan also includes cuts on related public investment expenditures which are 10% lower than last year, and it emphasizes allocation to 7 primary areas. However, employment and economic measures are insufficient—these government fiscal policies are not only unable to placate worker anxiety over livelihoods but also unable to break negative growth. Further, the government has postponed reform, deciding on medical care system reform policies that increase the patients' burden and raise insurance fees. This corrupt medical reform plan that ignores our livelihoods is nothing more than a policy that heaps more anxiety on our citizens.
   
   
3. The Japanese economy has fallen into a deflationary spiral where a trend of falling prices has been intensifying since the autumn of 2001. In this prolonged stagnation, financial institutions are facing an outbreak of new bad debt, which is surpassing the old bad loans, and some local financial institutions actually have failed. We are now facing a situation where there is concern over financial system anxiety recurring this spring.
   To stop deflationary spiral, it is vital to create demand through the central bank maintaining and enforcing quantitative easing of finance while the government takes financial measures to stimulate sound domestic demand.
   Regarding the bankruptcy of financial organs, after managers bear responsibility and shareholders take liability, public funds should be used to bail out banks based on strict rules to secure the stability of the financial system.
   Furthermore, beginning this February the government will study "tax system reform" that will raise taxes and they plan to submit a bill at next year's ordinary Diet session. RENGO will retaliate against this tax system revision move by swiftly formulating the "RENGO Tax System Reform Plan" based on the establishment of a fair tax system.
   
   
   
4. At the current ordinary Diet session, the second supplementary budget plan for FY 2001 will be deliberated first, then the FY 2002 budget plan and other related bills are scheduled for deliberation afterward, including medical care related bills and a revised bill to promote employment for the disabled. Non budget-related bills, such as emergency defense legislation is scheduled to be submitted to the Diet, and the Commercial Law amendment bill, the Civil Law amendment bill, and the privacy protection bill will also be deliberated.
   It is certain that this spring the unemployment rate will worsen, the economy will continue to slump, and people's anxiety over livelihoods will heighten, therefore measures to solve these situations will be keenly sought.
   
   

Through activities in Spring 2002, RENGO seeks to break the crisis facing workers livelihoods and jobs by "shifting the government's biased market-dominant/financial reconstruction policies to those which are livelihood-conscious and promoting economic recovery."
To achieve this, RENGO will set its sights mainly on realizing the following priority (3 pillars) and focused (6 policies) issues mainly at the 154th ordinary Diet session and work with affiliated organizations and local RENGO in unity.

Priority Issues(3 Pillars)

1. Stop the deflationary spiral and shift to policies that stimulate domestic demand through increased personal spending.
   
2. Radically fortify job creation/ stabilization measures to halt more unemployment.
   
3. Stabilize the medical care/ pension system which create anxiety over the future with government funds.

RENGO will seek the FY 2001 second supplementary budget to create a foothold for the recovery of spending and expand domestic demand by doing the following. Conduct employment creation and job skill development measures, vitalize regional industries, raise government liability on basic pensions to one half, and create jobs in the housing industry.

Focused Issues(Six Policies)

1. Demand a shift to a FY 2002 budget with "measures to decrease unemployment rate" including those that "radically strengthen measures to create and stabilize employment," and "intensifies measures to stabilize living standards."
   (1) In order to "create more than 1.2 million jobs" as part of the government's responsibility, develop projects in social service areas such as welfare, medical care, environment, and education, without sticking to a "\30 trillion ceiling for issuing new government bonds."
   (2) Set up a new (¥2 trillion) "fund" to promote emergency job skill development projects for 600,000 people over three years. Further, drastically fortify job skill development support measures such as supplemental career building grants for workers actively employed.
   (3) The "emergency special subsidy for regional job creation" projects should be decided by agreement among local government, labor, management, and prefectural labor bureaus, along with release of the number hired.
   (4) Extend unemployment benefits for the involuntary jobless people to "at least more than 210 days." Combine this with radically expanded vocational training provisions in the Employment Insurance Law, unemployed should be paid a total of 2 years of unemployment benefits and training provisions regardless of age or qualification period for unemployment insurance benefits.
   (5) Drastically fortify an internship and trial employment system for new graduates/first-time employed. Increase the number of career advisors and introduce a trial employment system for the middle-aged and elderly.
   (6) Drastically expand various measures for creation and stabilization of employment to improve jobless situation through consensus forum among government, labor and management such as the Employment Promotion Council. Also promote and materialize supporting measures for work sharing through such a forum.
   
   
2. Dispel future anxiety over medical care and pensions, and build a safe and reliable social security system while restoring consumption.
   (1) Do not increase individual out-of-pocket cost expenditures, and do not raise health insurance premiums.
   (2) Shift to an "inclusive flat-payment system" from a "result-payment system" which is a contributing factor in wasteful/inefficient medical care including over-prescription of drugs or examinations.
   (3) Establish a new medical care system for retirees which can function as an alternative to health service systems for the elderly.
   (4) Disclose necessary medical information to patients and make an efficient, high quality medical care system.
   (5) Expand comprehensive health services emphasizing prevention and proactive health measures.
   (6) Revive consumption by increasing government liability for basic pensions to one half and lower insurance rates.
   
   
3. Aim for the establishment of socially unbiased and fair work rules. Create employment stability, protection of workers' rights, fair labor standards, etc.
   (1) Implement legislation of the following: abolition of dismissal without justifiable and legitimate reasons, four requirements for dismissal in times of corporate reorganization, and abolition of discriminatory treatment against part-time workers and others.
   (2) Revise the Corporate Rehabilitation Law to strictly define employers' responsibilities to eliminate situations where workers may suffer during corporate reconstruction and bankruptcy disposal. Also at the time of bankruptcy, take measures to protect worker's claims, and raise the priority of their rights to claim interest in the bankruptcy legislation.
   (3) Promote ratification of ILO conventions; core ILO labor standards, Convention title 105: Abolition of Forced Labor, C. 111: Discrimination (Employment and Occupation). Also encourage ratification of C. 144 Tripartite Consultation (International Labor Standards), C. 158 Termination of Employment, C. 173 Protection of Workers' Claims (Employer's Insolvency).
   (4) Establish corporate governance that guarantees worker participation. To do so, elect labor unions representatives as auditors, revise the Commercial Law to newly establish the compulsory disclosure of corporate information on leading large/medium-sized unlisted firms, and legislate a "worker representative system."
   
   
4. Promote job stability and creation, secure labor conditions for workers in small to mid-sized businesses including non-organized workers, and promote employment for the disabled.
   (1) In an effort to revitalize the manufacturing industry, expand the "basic plan on fundamental technology in manufacturing," including expertise/technique mentorship, promotion of industry concentration, job skills/education enrichment, and human resources development enhancement.
   (2) In order to establish fair business practices that guarantee equitable labor conditions for workers in minute and small to mid-sized businesses, drastically revise the scope of the Subcontractor's Protection to Prevent Delayed Payments to Subcontractors Law.
   (3) When revising the Disabled Persons Employment Promotion Law, emphasize: a) abolishment of an exempt rate system (set up for some businesses in which a considerable portion of jobs are considered difficult for disabled workers to perform), b) clarify responsibilities during corporate organizational restructure, c) institutionalize employment support projects. Also, drastically expand projects regarding job creation for disabled workers and intensify further plans for the disabled.
   
   
5. Promote reform of the special public corporation/civil servant system into a democratic system with basic labor rights. Abolish the "Level I Career System" and "Amakudari personnel." (*the practice of retired high-level government officials stepping into executive posts in private and semi-public firms in fields closely linked to their government roles.)
   (1) Establish basic labor rights for civil servants. Set wage and labor conditions based on collective bargaining.
   (2) Establish a new personnel/salary system through labor-management consultations.
   (3) For special public corporations, aim for reform that will maintain and improve the livelihoods of citizens and offer staff some form of work on the premise of studying how public roles should be.
   (4) Transform the national postal service into a public corporation, that should be responsible for offering universal services, and conduct reform toward complementing private firms.
   
   
6. Other issues
   (1) Drastically intensify environmental protection measures
   Ratify and enforce the Kyoto Protocol. To do so, establish comprehensive measures to reduce greenhouse gases as well as expand the budget to develop technology for global warming prevention measures.
   
   (2) Revise the Civil Law and enrich career and home support measures
   Legislate a Civil Law amendment bill to: allow married couples to select different surnames, set the marriage age for both men and women at 18, legislate inheritance rights for illegitimate children equal to that for legitimate offspring. Also, exempt social insurance premiums for people who take family-care leaves, and see that health guidance or medical examinations according to the Maternal and Child Health Law are all publicly supported.
   
   (3) Beef up food safety measures
   Legislate the "Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease) Urgent Measure Bill (tentative)" and by doing so, establish a stable supply system of safe beef, ensure the public's health as well as the healthy development of the supply, distribution, retailing, and restaurant industries.
   
   (4) Institute a human rights committee
   Institute a "human rights committee" which will enlighten human rights and relieve suffering, independent of administrative organizations, and established within a Cabinet Office. Human rights relief in the labor field would be equal to the other human rights relief systems. Further, committee members would be appointed by congress.
   
   (5) Amend the Public Office Election Law
   Swiftly amend Appendix 1 (of the Public Office Election Law, Article 13), based on the "Proposal of the Council on the House of Representatives Electoral Districts" in order to correct inequalities in the value of individual votes from different single-seat electoral districts in the House of Representatives.
   

In order to break through our living standard and employment crisis RENGO, each affiliate, and local RENGO will more fully display their own roles, and concentrate on concrete activities from January through March. Further, activities after April will be proposed at the 6th Central Executive Committee scheduled for March 7.

1. RENGO's Activities
   (1) Unified Activities
   All organizations will uniformly promote the following activities nationwide with their full strength focusing on three main demands: to shift government policies, create and stabilize jobs, and realize safe medical care system reform.
   [1] Conduct nationwide unified "pep rallies" and "street publicity campaigns"
   * Hold general pep rallies at the national headquarters. (2/8 rally: Struggle Kick-off Declaration, 3/1: General pep rally, 3/29: expedite settlement / realization of demands on policies and systems.)
   * Hold pep rallies at local RENGO and local councils. (early Feb. — late Mar.)
   * Unified national mass street campaign day. (first round: 2/25, second round: 3/29)
   [2] Activities to break through the employment crisis
   * Realize "resolution adoption" at affiliated organizations, unit unions and branch unions organizational meetings followed by "government-labor meeting" based on the aggregated results of the adoption.
   <Resolution Issues> Resolve to demand job measure expansion through government responsibility
   a) Make job creating projects that promote a social infrastructure that will secure jobs for the unemployed.
   b) Drastically upgrade skills development to support employment and benefits to secure lives of the unemployed.
   c) Establish rules to abolish discrimination toward part-time / terminable workers (resolution by mid Jan. - early
   Mar.: aggregate resolutions at RENGO HQ, demands at the govt.-labor meeting, etc. by late Mar.).
   * Conduct "(the 2nd) national survey for resignees/unemployed" (late Feb.) before the public employment agencies and "mass national labor hotline" (approx. Feb. 12-18). Reflect the collected results on the budgetary diet debates and enforce demands on local governments and employers' associations.
   * Advance job measures through "effective utilization of the Government-Labor-Management Employment Promotion Council" at the central and local levels.
   * Send collected RENGO e-mails to the Prime Minister, cabinet ministers, political parties, and congresspersons.
   * "Adopt written opinions on breaking through the employment crisis" at local assemblies (Feb. — Mar.).
   * Appropriate coordination with "Action Route 47."
   [3] Activities to object to heavier burdens and realize safe medical care reform
   * Conduct "study sessions" at affiliate organizations, unit unions and branches and hold a "10 million signature drive," submitting the results to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the House of Councilors, and raise the findings at the government-labor meetings.
   <10 Million Signature Drive for Medical Care Reform>
   Conduct the "10 million signature drive to demand drastic reform for a safe medical care system and to object higher burdens (10 Million Signature Drive for Medical Care Reform)." (Implement this from early Feb. - mid Mar.; gather at RENGO HQ in late March; swiftly submit to the Diet; present the results with demands at the government-labor meeting. Prepare and send organizations "explanation flyers to union members," " sign-up sheets," "manuals for officials," etc., by late January.)
   * Hold "medical care reform symposiums" (Mar. — Apr.) on the national and the local levels with RENGO, NIKKEIREN (Japan Federation of Employers' Associations), KENPOREN (National Federation of Health Insurance Societies), and medical associations.
   * Send e-mail opinions gathered by RENGO to the Prime Minister, other ministers, political parties, and legislators.
   * "Adopt written opinions advancing safe medical care reform" at local assemblies (Feb. — Mar.).
   
   
   (2) RENGO Headquarters' Concrete Activities
   Headquarters will work on unified actions in cooperation with affiliated organizations and local RENGO, aggregate how they proceed and take appropriate responses to realize demands. RENGO HQ will strive for the following:
   [1] Implement demand activities to the government, ministries and agencies, political parties and legislators, and hold policy discussions with political parties.
   [2] Sit in on the Budget Committee and the Health, Welfare and Labor Committee, and hold meetings in the Diet.
   [3] Prepare and distribute materials (flyers, leaflets) to promote street actions and organization education (late Jan.).
   [4] PR activities, including radio spots, (mid Jan. — early Apr.): study and push mass media plans and commercials using each medium of advertisement.
   [5] Responses to work-sharing: grapple with it based on the "policy for work-sharing" presented separately.
   [6] Hold liaison council meetings.
   
   
2. Affiliated Organization's Activities
   Affiliated organizations, with the active participation of union members, will exert maximum effort on activities to promote job maintenance and stabilization at every level of industry, business category, and enterprise.
   
   (1) Activities Meshing with the 2002 Spring Struggle of Affiliate Organizations
   [1] Grasp real management conditions through "thorough labor-management discussions" and intensify improvement measures.
   [2] Confirm the "Labor-Management Job Stabilization Declaration" and conclude "job maintenance agreements."
   [3] To secure job volume, reduce "overtime work" and a "total self-review of overtime work without pay."
   [4] "Labor agreement check ups" and "use subsidies" to maintain and secure employment.
   [5] Hold part-time/dispatched worker meetings in workplaces and make consultation arrangements.
   
   (2) Participation in Unified Activities
   
   [1] "Resolution adoption" in line with unified activities on employment at unit unions/branch organizational meetings.
   [2] Effect the "10 Million Signature Drive for Medical Care Reform" and hold "workplace study sessions" (RENGO will prepare and distribute flyers and sign-up sheets to affiliated organizations by late January.)
   [3] Join RENGO and local RENGO nationwide unified actions (adoption of written opinions at local assemblies, conduct national survey for resignees/unemployed, mass national labor hotline, etc.)
   
   
3. Local RENGO's Activities
   Local RENGO will push the following activities together with RENGO headquarters and local affiliated organizations.
   (1) Effect "National Mass Actions" (Feb. — Mar.) in conjunction with RENGO headquarters activities.
   (2) Realize "adoption of written opinion at local assemblies" for job and medical care (local assemblies: Feb. - Mar.).
   (3) Conduct "(the 2nd) national survey for resignees/ unemployed" (late Feb.) before public employment agencies, a "mass national labor hotline," and demands to local governments and employers' associations.
   (4) Examine the "emergency special subsidy for regional job creation," and either participate in or reflect upon ideas to formulate a "regional employment development plan," and conduct study sessions along with support measures for job stability such as "government subsidies for employment adjustment" and "re-employment support plans."
   (5) Hold "medical care reform symposiums" on the local level.
   (6) Fortify regional joint struggles, coordinate with regional affiliated organizations, and sensitively support small to mid-sized local unions.