Call for Endorsement of and Participation in National Workers Rally on Nov. 4
August 2007


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(Union News "Call for Endorsement of and Participation in National Workers Rally on Nov. 4,)(Japanes)

Call for Endorsement of and Participation in National Workers Rally on Nov. 4
Let's Create a Nation-wide Network of Fighting Labor Unions!
International Workers Solidarity Against Constitutional Revision, War, Privatization and Union Busting!

Kan-Nama /Solidarity Union of Japan Construction and Transport Workers Kansai Area Branch
Minato-Godo /Metal and Machinery Workers' Union in Osaka
Doro-Chiba /National Railway Motive Power Union of Chiba

Fighting workers across the country!

It is 10 years since we started the annual November workers' rally under the slogan: "Let's create a nation-wide network of fighting labor unions!" In these ten years we have succeeded in getting more and more workers participated in the rally with the cooperation of our fellow workers across the country. Moreover, the rally has been developing into an important occasion to promote international solidarity between Japanese, Korean and US workers since 2003. The November Workers' Rally has thus built up a solid foundation of unity for those workers all over the country who are aspiring to revive and re-establish labor movement.

Recent enactment of the National Referendum Law for the constitutional revision and the reactionary revision of the Fundamental Law on Education (and railroading of four laws concerning education) have put us in a crossroad of the history. Abe administration, whose platform is "a departure from the postwar regime", is driving for the revision of the constitution and war: the Defense Agency has recently been upgraded to the Defense Department; there has been a significant stepping-up of Japan-US Security Alliance; chauvinism and nationalism are being stirred up among the population. These facts eloquently prove that Bush and Abe administrations, drawn deeper and deeper into the quagmire in Iraq, are desperately dashing into expansion of aggressive war all over the world.

Abe administration, being in a grave crisis, intends to legislate in the extraordinary session of the Diet next autumn Labor Contract Bill that abolishes 8-hour day and dismantles the right to organize and also Crime of Conspiracy.

Meanwhile, we are confronted with a situation, in which privatization and free-market fundamentalism are rampant and the social welfare system is being dismantled. Workers can't survive without fighting back. Young people without future and hope, dubbed "lost generation", are raising their voices: "Let us live"

The ruling class, cornered by the exposure of "missing pension records", is pushing on with the policy of disorganizing the Social Insurance Agency, in an outrageous attempt to shift the blame to social insurance workers. The focus of the offensive is destruction of labor unions. The ruling Democratic Liberal Party, with the help of the mass media, is organizing a vicious union busting campaign, naming the Jichiro (National Federation of Prefectural and Municipal Workers' Union) and Nikkyoso (Japan Teachers Union) as "enemies of the nation". With the introduction of teachers' license renewal system, disobedient teachers who resist the state's policy, are put under severe attack of expulsion or discharge. A vicious plan is prepared for next spring to dismiss sister NEZU Kimiko, one of those teachers who have been refusing to stand up to sing Kimigayo (national anthem) in front of Hinomaru (national flag) in school ceremonies. Repeated arrests of union members of Kan-Nama on frame-up charges represent an all-out state power repression on militant labor unions. On the other hand, the major corporations are boasting unprecedented high profit, while they limitlessly exploit workers, even employing unlawful method of "disguised contract labor".

Corrupt labor movement leadership has gone so far as to admit the planned revision of the constitution. Rank and file workers, however, have begun to raise their angry voices in workplaces against the adverse situation of labor movement and to gather round, overcoming differences of union affiliation. Now is the time to speak out! What is urgently required is to get back labor unity and revive labor union. Let's be aware of our own power and ability and restore workers' pride. We propose that we stand up for workshop struggle and set up coordinating centers of militant labor movement as well as labor schools extensively all over Japan, putting aside the difference of opinions and enlarging the common points among us. Let's build up a joint action against constitutional revision, war, privatization and union busting. Let's create a nation-wide network of fighting labor movement!

During the past months, we three unions have been endeavoring to revive labor movement. Kan-Nama has succeeded in defending and further developing the historical attainment of its industrial policy, fighting back an all-out political repression of the state power. Minato-Godo has maintained its fundamental position with slogan of "Unity is our life" and is organizing workers of medium, small and micro enterprises, on which the contradiction of capitalism is concentrated, in confrontation with the capital's offensive of discharge by means of filing for bankruptcy. Doro-Chiba has stood squarely against the management's attack of abolishing important workplaces, union's fortress, and solidified unity. Also the struggle is being continued against unjustly fired 1047 national railway workers. The three unions recently agreed upon sponsoring a discussion meeting in May for the revival of fighting labor movement with an aim of promoting a nation-wide drive for militant labor movement.

We are now witnessing flames of workers' struggle growing everywhere in the world. In US, "the next upsurge", succeeding the great upsurge in 1930's, is taking place. In Korea, workers waged repeated general strikes to fight back Irregular Employment Law and Korea-US Free Trade Agreement. The time has come when voices of rank and file are growing in workplaces to demand change and re-birth of labor movement in a new situation.

We three unions discussed and decided that the November Workers' Rally this year, that is going to be held as the tenth anniversary of our long years' project, should make a gigantic leap forward for our movement and that we should energetically call on fellow workers across the country to come together to this significant occasion for our common cause. Let's declare in the name of the workers' rally with rising voices of anger from all over Japan that the power of workers' united struggle alone can change the society and create the history. We are determined to make it a kick-off rally for a general labor mobilization against the revision of the constitution.

We sincerely ask all of you, fighting brothers and sisters, who share the aspirations of the working class, to endorse and participate in the rally.

Let's create a nation-wide network of fighting labor unions!
For the international unity of working class against the constitutional revision, war, privatization and union busting! -

Sunday, November 4, 12 noon
Hibiya Open-air Stage, Tokyo

DORO-CHIBA (DC): National Railway Motive Power Union of CHIBA
Email: doro-chiba@doro-chiba.org
Web: https://doro-chiba.org/

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