700 Participated in Policies/Systems Central Rally Policies for Next Two Years was the Theme (17 Jun 2003)

RENGO held its “14th Policies/Systems Central Discussion Rally” at Pacifico Yokohama in Kanagawa prefecture from June 10th to the 11th. The issues set forth in the “Demands & Proposals Policies/Systems Draft for FY 2004-05” were far tighter than in previous years. The contents included eleven focused demand policies, including three priority issues, which RENGO plans to achieve in the next year. Likewise, there were eight demand policies that RENGO will seek to realize in the next two years after due consideration and study in the councils and the schedule of deliberating bills. 700 participants actively joined in discussions at the five panels and general assembly with the theme of “Demands and Proposals.” At the rally, Rikkyo University’s College of Social Relations, Department of Industrial Relations Professor Seiichiro Saito gave a lecture on ‘Prospects for Japanese Economy.’ The ‘Demands and Proposals’ will be modified during discussions at the rally, pass through the June 17 Central Executive Committee Meeting, and be finalized at the 40th Central Committee Meeting scheduled for June 26. Photo: Acting President Sakakibara encourages active discussion. (10th, Pacifico Yokohama) Acting President Sakakibara gave an opening speech on behalf of the organizers. Sakakibara reported on RENGO’s activities to improve employment, resolve living standard anxieties, revive consumption, review labor legislation, revise pensions, revise taxes, and reform the civil servant system. He emphasized that “affiliated organizations and local RENGO have persistently tackled these issues with enormous commitment and cooperation and as a result successfully modified both the Labor Standards Law revision bill and the Industrial Revitalization Corporation bills.” ”However, the Koizumi Administration is more concerned with financial balance, structural reform, and acceleration of bad loan disposal rather than the working people’s living conditions.” Pointing out that “the government is pushing its burden onto the people,” he appealed to participants “to initiate tough discussions over what we are demanding now and how we will achieve it in order to secure jobs and living standard relief and security.“ President Sasamori, who was participating in the International Labour Conference (ILO) in Geneva Switzerland, could not attend the discussion rally. RENGO Vice President and Policy Committee Chair Takagi raised several issues prior to the panels. He explained the “Demands and Proposals Draft” which included the priority issues: (1) Compilation of FY 2004 budget emphasizing job creation and eradicating deflation. (2) Establishment of a public pension system that guarantees safety and reliability through basic pension reform. (3) Formulation of a “part-time/fixed-term labor act” and “employment contract law” to secure job stability and equal treatment. He said that in order to achieve these things, “we must stress the significance of demand policies to everyone in every workplace, gather together workers’ opinions on a broad scale, and think in more detail about concrete approaches to realize RENGO’s policies.” On the 11th, the next day, all participants joined in a discussion on the debates at the five panels. Seven organizations remarked that what was needed was clarification of activities for pension reform, activities for local education problems, fortification of job measures for the homeless, participation by multiple female officers in the policy making procedure, and initiation of debates and movements for emergency national security legislation. In response, General Secretary Kusano said that this yearÁs challenges will focus on jobs, taxes, and pensions. He stated that Ëlocal RENGO also needs to exchange opinions with the board of education and employersÁ organizations on educational problems.Ó ËWe want to check on renewed plans regarding the Industrial Revitalization Corporation from a labor unionÁs point of view.Ó ËWe want to proceed while hearing other voices about what influence public office workers have and what sort of proposals and activities RENGO might provide on emergency national security legislation issues.Ó He also spoke of the need to take manifesto-like ideas when firming up activities for the ËDemands and Proposals.Ó He emphasized that Ëthese priority issues are something that all RENGO should tackle together as a whole.Ó He continued, saying, Ëgiven the conditions of regulatory reform, which are based on a sort of law of the jungle or Çwinner-take-allÁ mentality, I realize that activities to achieve our demands will be met with very strong resistance, which will be difficult. But I hope to use our every effort to focus and bring about our demands.Ó After delivering this decisive address, he closed the rally.

Current Domestic Actions