Realize Secure & Reliable Medical Service/Nursing Care Discuss Troubles & Issues at Central RallyDiscuss Troubles & Issues at Central Rally (16 May 2003)

On May 9, RENGO held the “2003 RENGO Central Rally on Secure & Reliable Medical Service & Nursing Care” at Hibiya Kokaido Public Hall in Tokyo with approximately 800 workers from the frontline of medical service and welfare fields in attendance. At the rally, Professor Yukiko Okuma of the Graduate School of Human Sciences/School of Human Sciences at Osaka University gave a lecture, and an open panel discussion was held between panelists and attendees. Participants spoke of the current conditions, troubles in their workplaces, problems involved in systems, and frankly discussed what we should do to realize those services that patients and users feel are necessary. After the rally the participants joined a parade appealing for the early realization of radical reform of the medical care system and improvement of the long-term care insurance system. Photo: March led by workers from the medical and welfare fields. (May 9, Tokyo) The rally started with a skit was performed about creating an environment where nurses can freely talk at workplaces. Then, RENGO President Sasamori gave a speech on behalf of organizers strongly criticizing the government’s announcement of their intention to postpone the realization of radical reform of the medical care system until after the 2008 Fiscal Year. Of the Long-term Care Insurance System Sasamori said, “a system of charging money has been implemented but that long-term care system still has not been fully established is a big problem.” He expressed a hope “to use our full effort to tackle the creation of a system where patients can receive long-term care without worry and care-providers can offer long-term care without worry.” In addition, President Sasamori introduced Healthcare ROKYO (Healthcare Unions Council), which joined RENGO last November. He revealed his high expectations saying that the organization “will be a major force toward improving issues on medical care service,” and he also appealed for the need to expand unions in the fields of medical care service and welfare. Sasamori also touched on the deliberations at the current Diet session over revision bills of the Labor Standards/Worker Dispatch Laws and the problem of worker dismissal rules saying, we “will never yield (to the government).” He also pointed out issues regarding to the employment of fixed-term contract and dispatch laborers expressing determination to prevent any negative changes to labor legislation. He said, “we must persevere as trade unions no matter what the cost.” After that, Professor Yukiko Okuma offered the keynote speech entitled “Pride, Warmth, and Sparkle: Challenges from Abroad, Japan’s Attempts, and a Signal from RENGO.” In her speech, Okuma used slides to compare current conditions in countries ‘without bedridden seniors,’ such as Denmark, to those ‘with bedridden seniors (such as Japan).’ She stated that “we can see the relation between those countries with ‘high percentages’ and ‘low percentages’ of unionization rates.” She also said that this is “significantly linked to whether people who are dealing with welfare can do their jobs with pride, sparkle, and warmth.” A panel discussion was then held with the following panelists. Ms. Matsumaru, a city hospital nurse representing JICHIRO (All-Japan Prefectural & Municipal Workers’ Union), Ms. Tanaka from Nippon Care Service Craft Union an affiliate of UI-ZENSEN (Japanese Federation of Textile, Chemical, Food, Commercial, Service & General Workers’ Unions), Secretary General Katsumura of the Citizens’ Association for the Disclosure of Medical Information, and Ms. Honma from the Citizens’ Association to Improve Special Nursing Homes for the Aged. They spoke frankly about the negative effects of the harsh working conditions at the frontline. Many remarked that it is important to improve the work environment and conditions by promoting work rules in order to realize high quality service. At the end of the rally, participants adopted an appeal and then paraded toward the Ginza area in Tokyo. Marchers passed out fliers to passersby while appealing for: “immediate and radical medical service system reform and long-term care insurance system improvement,” “a secure and reliable medical care system through appropriate personnel placement,” “stabilized employment for care workers and better service,” and “improved labor conditions and safety and health at medical/nursing-care workplaces.”

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