Japanese Trade Union Confederation (RENGO)

2006 New Year Appeal

A new year 2006 has started. This year should be made the year to mark a step toward reversing to offenses and enabling us to prospect a bright future.

Japanese Trade Union Confederation (JTUC- RENGO), at its 9th Regular Congress held in October last year, decided to make a fresh start with a new leadership under the slogan of “The Union Changes and Change the Society. ” At the RENGO Policy Demand Rally held December 6th, 2005, conventional styles of the past rallies were completely renewed and about 4,000 jet balloons were blown off high up into the night sky with the shout of “No Tax Increase.” In the parade, thereafter, streets of Ginza area were filled with paper balloons. All the workplace organizations, member organizations, local organizations as well as RENGO itself should go back to the origin of their activities and re-establish their activities, making their meanings and purposes fresh and clear. An activities which make everybody say “Oh! RENGO has changed, hasn’t it?” should be developed by all the organizations, arousing sympathy in everybody and continuing to do “something new”.

There are numerous factors which provoke concern for the future of Japan such as the age of decrease in population and the degeneration of social morality symbolized by bi-polarization of society, frequent occurrences of atrocious crimes, the scandal of the earthquake resistance data falsification, etc. On the other hand, the union organization rate is tracing a constant decrease. Display of trade union capacity by both ways of concentration of its strength and solution of problems is now demanded.

There is nobody who does not want a good society. As is shown by the fact that “love” was chosen and publicized at the end of last year as the most popular Kanji (Chinese character) for the year, it should be understood that in the character for “love” is incorporated the calm cry of the people for nobody to overlook a society in which the heart of love is fading away. The trade union is indeed the organization of solidarity which counts on “love”- - valuing people and valuing the person- to- person relationship. It is now heartily demanded of the trade union movement to display its original raison-d’etre as solidarity and social justice.

At the beginning of the year, JTUC-RENGO once again pledges to continue to challenge sincerely the roles which the trade union movement should bear, in recognition of them with its whole organization together with its member organizations and local organizations. Let us act to re-structure of Japan so that everybody can live joyfully, affluently, and stably.