Japanese Trade Union Confederation (RENGO)

Small-Medium Sized/Local Unions Peak Period Press Conference

Progress on Resolution Period, Union Numbers, Contents

RENGO held a press conference on March 25, biggest peak day for small and medium-sized and local unions during the 2004 Spring Struggle. Attending the meeting, President Sasamori, General Secretary Kusano, RENGO MSE (Medium and Small-sized Enterprise) Joint Struggle Committee Chairperson Koide and Vice Chairperson Ochiai released information regarding the status of negotiations of small and medium-sized/local unions. At this year's Spring Struggle, the peak period for negotiations at small and medium-sized/local unions has been set for March 22-24. The JC (Japan Council of Metalworkers' Unions: IMF-JC) and other preceding unions already received answers for their demands including wage curve maintenance and the full bonus amount demanded between March 17 to 19, the established period for responses for those unions' demands.

On the morning on March 25th, the number of unions that obtained answers from their management exceeded those pre-registered union numbers for small and medium-sized/local unions. In response, President Sasamori praised these results, which were more positive than those of the previous year, by saying "We found progress in the settlement periods, number of unions, and in the contents of the settlements themselves." Registered unions saw an increase in the number of their unions which obtained either the same level or higher results than last year, and he said that "the RENGO policy which set last year's gains as the bottom end of an acceptable range of negotiations just might lead to bright prospects."

RENGO will continue to work to see that these results will have a positive impact on the promotion of resolutions at unsettled unions and with non-union workers.