Local Situation-based Comprehensive Deflationary Measures Needed Local RENGO Reps Present Demands to Legislators/Ministries/Agencies (22 November 2002)

Appeals for severe local conditions. (Nov. 18, Upper House Office Building, Diet.) On November 18, RENGO conducted an urgent demand activity at offices of both the Upper and Lower Houses in the Diet, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency. Local RENGO representatives from across Japan led the activity demanding that comprehensive measures against deflation be made including those to improve employment and consumption based on actual situations locally. They also appealed to “stabilize financial systems by disposing of non-performing loans, the acceleration of corporate revitalization,” and to “enrich administration of labor standards by establishing a ‘Labor Standards Moderation Volunteer System (tentative).’” RENGO President Sasamori rushed to the demand activity aimed at lawmakers as did more than 70 lawmakers from the Democratic, Social Democratic, and Liberal Parties. Members from local RENGO divided into six regional blocs and visited the office buildings of members of both the House of Representatives and Councilors. Demand delegations reported severe employment and economic conditions in each locality. Some examples included the following, “responses to RENGO questionnaire surveys conducted outside Hello Work offices are growing more severe,” “we find difficulties even with getting jobs from employers’ associations and Chambers of Commerce,” “Special Emergency Region Job Creation Subsidies are hard to use as they have restrictions.” They demanded the earliest possible realization of comprehensive anti-deflationary measures based on actual local conditions. President Sasamori rushed to attend each of the six delegations’ demand meetings. He touched on the grievous cries of workers who everyday face the threat of losing their jobs and criticized a lack of urgency toward employment problems on the part of central politics, administration and employers. Further he expressed a determination that RENGO will “risk the very existence of its labor movements to focus on and tackle employment problems.” He also encouraged legislators to “pour all of your effort into tackling the problems in the political realm.” The delegations continued on to the offices of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency to conduct similar demand activities.

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