ZENROREN establishes "Task Force for Another Japan"

"Small government" means shifting heavier economic burden onto the people;
“Another Japan” ensures public services the people can count on: We oppose the former and call for the latter.

ZENROREN has established a new task force to promote the struggle calling for an alternative to what the Koizumi Cabinet is aiming for. The Task Force will help expose the true aims of the Koizumi "reform" policy and its call for "small government." At the launching meeting, participating union leaders discussed and confirmed concrete activities to be organized.

"Enough is enough"

ZENROREN on December 7 held a meeting to launch a "Task Force for the Struggle against 'Small Government, i.e., Heavier Burdens on the People and for Another Japan, i.e., Public Services that Gives the Public a Sense of Security."

The launching assembly took place with 133 union leaders attending from national industrial unions and local federations. Solidarity speeches were given by representatives of three organizations: the Japan Federation of Civil Aviation Workers’ Union for Air Safety, the Japanese Medical and Dental Practitioners for Improvement of Medical Care (Hodanren); and the National Federation of Societies for Safeguarding of People's Living and Health (Zenseiren).

Real struggle

In explaining why ZENROREN decided to establish the Task Force, ZENROREN President KUMAGAI Kanemichi, who heads the Task Force, said that it was necessary to establish a task force to help increase the struggle to foil attacks on government workers and cutbacks on public services in the name of "smaller government." He said, "We will stand firm against the Koizumi structural reform policy."

ZENROREN Secretary General BANNAI Mitsuo gave the report and made a proposal. Citing three key words, "destruction of public safety and security," "the widening gaps," and "abandonment of local needs," he stressed that the establishment of the Task Force is a timely initiative and called for a major effort to expose the sources of people's anger.

Immediate activities

- To hold a symposium on the theme "Public safety and the falsified quake-resistance data for construction design,"
- To organize a movement to expose wrongdoing of the LDP-Komei coalition government,
- To increase local concerted action,
- To organize a one-month nationwide caravan campaign from mid-March.

The basic viewpoint is defense of the Constitution

During the discussion, 13 participants spoke.

A representative of the Japan Federation of National Public Service Employees Unions (KOKKOROREN) said, "The establishment of the Task Force is an encouraging initiative. We will actively respond to the manpower and material needs to develop this effort";

A representative of JMIU (Japan said, "Government workers are working in compliance with the Constitution. Question is why do they have to be attacked? Attacks on the union are attacks on the constitutional right to organize. The prime minister is doubly violating the Constitution";

A representative of the Osaka Federation of Trade Unions (Osaka Roren) which already has a similar task force, said, "Sixty percent of the participants in the task force study meeting are private sector workers. We have to develop our task force from the viewpoint of the Constitution."