General Union gears up for a new year!

The 2013 Annual General Meeting brought together about 90 union members who listened to officer reports covering the different GU sectors (Private Language Industry - PLI, Schools and Colleges - SAC, Industrial and Commercial - I&C), and the annual finance report and budget.

Members who have won recent victories or are currently in dispute also asked for support in their workplaces and thanked union members for their past help.

The current branch chair of the Peppy Kids Club Branch spoke about his dismissal for union activity and how he was touched to see the number of members in his branch grow after he was fired. The solidarity in this branch will guarantee a victory and many new union activists.

The branch chair of the Osaka Gaigo Branch spoke about their recent victory against forced retirement. It was the branch's commitment to strike if they couldn't win at the negotiation table that led to a victory over this problem.

The last speaker, the branch chair of the union's Shinobu Foods branch spoke about her branch's most recent collective agreement guaranteeing job security through a pre consultation agreement covering contract renewals, a grievance procedure, dues check off, and pay for collective bargaining held within working hours. She also talked about their new demands for a pay increase from ¥850 per hour to ¥1000 and asked for union members’ support in case of a strike. The branch chair spoke elegantly about the rights of workers to dignity in the workplace.

New Union Executive Committee

This year also brought the union a full executive board, the first in four years. The four women elected to the committee is the highest in probably ten years while the number of new officers, six, is also the most in many years.

Even the election for auditors brought a pleasant surprise as four union members, the most ever, volunteered to keep the integrity of the union's finances.

The evening ended, as always, with pizza, beer, and a good time, back at the union office.

The union will face many challenges over the next few years and the hope is that the new energetic executive committee can meet the members' needs and that a whole new layer of activists will become a new generation of leaders.

Two May Days in Tokyo show workers’ anger against Abenomics

This year’s May Day in Tokyo was held in two venues. In Yoyogi Park, 21,000 workers gathered to express their anger against the Prime Minister Abe’s economic policy, the so-called Abenomics. “The effect of Abenomics is only felt among big companies and doesn’t reach small companies,” said a member of Tokyo Private Taxi Drivers’ Union. Competition in the industry intensified after deregulation a few years ago and long working hours have become rampant. The driver attended the May Day demo with a resolution to organize more workers into the union.

Another 8000 workers gathered in Hibiya Park to celebrate May Day. The main participants were public sector workers, but there were also community union members and migrant workers. Among the speakers were casual workers working as subway vendors and a Pakistani worker organized by the APFS (Asia People’s Friendship Society) Union. Their speeches showed that a fight back is beginning from the bottom.

Labornet TV live-broadcasted both May Day meetings.
Rengo held its May Day rally on April 27 at Yoyogi Park with 40,000 participants. (MATSUMOTO Chie)
Video of the Yoyogi May Day
Video of the Hibiya May Day

「アベノミクス効果は大企業だけ」～代々木メーデーに21000人
ちまたではアベノミクス効果で景気が回復の兆しを見せているというが、メーデーの今日5月1日、東京・代々木公園に結集した２万１千人の参加者からは、全く 反対の声を聞いた。「アベノミクスの効果なんて、末端まで届かない」と少し投げやりに言うのは、東京個人タクシー労働組合のメンバーだ。数年前の規制緩和 で、タクシー事業の競争は激しくなり、長時間労働が蔓延しているという。生計を立てるためには必然的に長時間労働になり、体を壊す運転手が増加。平均寿命 は短いという。都内に２万人以上いるタクシー運転手のうち３００名ほどを組織している労働組合だが、７４歳定年制などについて今後は厳しい闘いが予想され る。今日のメーデーでは、今後の組織化に力を入れていくという決意をもっての参加だった。（松元ちえ）

 報告・代々木メーデー中継録画・釜ヶ崎メーデー　＊写真＝参加者にインタビューする筆者（右）

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悲鳴ばかりが聞こえる「職場実態」～日比谷メーデーに8000人
メー デーはやはり晴れる。悪天候の予想を覆して朝から日が差した東京・日比谷公園。5月1日「日比谷第84回メーデー」には、清掃・水道・区職労など公務員労 働者を中心に、民間・地域ユニオン・外国人労働者など約8000人が集まった。レイバーネットTVでは生中継し、参加者の声を拾った。「委託・民営化で職 場がガタガタ」「病院の職場でイジメが蔓延している」「長時間労働が原因のメンタル障害が多い」など、悲鳴ばかりが聞かれた。演壇では、東京メトロ売店の 非正規組合「東部労組メトロコマース支部」やパキスタンの移住労働者（APFS労組）が発言したが、こうした底辺現場から反撃が始まっていることも示され た。（M） 

写真速報・日比谷メーデー中継録画　＊写真＝団結ガンバロー

Okinawa protest against the Day of Recovery of Sovereignty, April 28

On April 28, the Japanese government held a ceremony to commemorate the recovery of sovereignty of Japan in 1952. A rally to protest this ceremony was held in Hibiya, Tokyo under the sponsorship of the Kanto block of the Okinawa Anti-War Land Owners Group. The rally was attended by 400 people who heard a report on the present situation in Okinawa from MOTOMURA Norio, a former member of the Okinawa Youth League. He said, “Everyone in Okinawa is against the deployment of Osprey. 100 thousand people rallied and sent a petition to the government, but the government took no notice. Okinawa is nothing but a tool for them. So, we are obliged to exercise our right of self-determination.” Also, YASUTSUGU Tomihiro reported that increasing number of young people in Okinawa are now  concerned about the independence of Okinawa. After the rally, the participants marched to the government building area in Kasumigaseki to protest the discrimination against Okinawa. (OGAWA Kuniko)  

沖縄を切り捨てて何が「主権回復の日」か！～400人が集会とデモ
4 月28日、午前11時からの政府主催「主権回復・国際社会復帰式典」に抗議し、東京・日比谷では沖縄・一坪反戦地主会関東ブロックが主催して、集会とデモ が行われ、約400名が参加しました。集会では、元沖縄青年同盟の本村さんが沖縄の現状を報告しました。そして「沖縄総体がオスプレイ配備に反対し、10 万人県民集会を行い、建白書を提出したのに政府は一顧だにしない」「沖縄は道具でしかない。ならば、沖縄人は自己決定権を行使するしかない」と訴えまし た。また、安次富浩さんは「沖縄の若者は、琉球独立を考える人が増えつつある」と話しました。集会後、「沖縄を切り捨ててなにが主権回復か！」「沖縄差別 の主権回復の日に抗議するぞ！」と、霞が関、新橋をデモ行進しました。（尾澤邦子） 報告・４月２８日―京都

Ogawa talks about his fight against a workplace “ghetto” on Labornet TV

OGAWA Hideaki, who has been fighting against being confined into a “ghetto” at his workplace at Bungeisha, a publishing company in Tokyo, appeared on Labornet TV on April 25. Here are some of the responses from Twitter. “I was so angry that I couldn’t stop crying when I heard that two bosses used to stand behind Ogawa to watch how he was working. The bosses should be doing their own job if they had time to watch! I can’t understand why the company could be so mean to force the worker into such a mental state.” “It was shocking to know Ogawa’s response when he first met with a labor union. He didn’t know that a worker had a right to say “no” to the company’s orders and to bargain with management. It was quite a surprise to him, like seeing a different world.” (from MATSUMOTO Chie’s Twitter)

Photo: Ogawa at the center and Matsumoto on his right

Previous news on Ogawa

文芸社「追い出し部屋」とたたかう小川秀朗さん、レイバーネットTVで思い語る
「文 芸社の“追い出し部屋”で一人孤立させられている小川さん。上司が二人背後に立って仕事ぶりを監視していたときもあったという話を聞いて、怒りで泣けてき た。第一に、そんなヒマがあったら仕事しろよ、と言いたい。人間をそれだけ精神的に追い詰めてしまえる、その精神が理解し難い」「“追い出し部屋”に押し 込まれても一人で闘っている小川さんが、労働組合と出会った時の印象は衝撃的。“これまでとは別世界”と。いち労働者に“肩たたき”を拒否できる権利、会 社の命令に不服従でいることの権利、経営者と交渉する権利があること。これまで知らなかったと。驚きだと言った」（松元ちえのツイッターから）
 写真報告・放送アーカイブ（88分/特集は8分から）・東京管理職ユニオン文芸社支部HP　＊写真＝4月25日の「レイバーネットTV」松元ちえさん（左）・小川秀朗さん（中央）

No to discrimination! Counter-protest action overwhelms right-wing demo

On Sunday afternoon, April 21, the streets in front of Shin-Okubo station in Tokyo were in an uproar; there were two demonstrations, riot police and many passers-by watching the demonstrations. The first demonstration was held by Zaitokukai, a right-wing group that protests against “privileges” they claim are enjoyed by permanent residents of Korean decent. The demonstrators flew many Hinomaru, the national flag of Japan, and screamed, “Down with privileges of Korean residents!” There was also a counter-protest action against the demonstration. The counter-protestors chanted “No to discrimination!” and called on residents to be friendly to each other. One of the protesters said “The number of counter-protesters is increasing while the participants of Zaitokukai are decreasing. They are not chanting “Kill the Koreans!” so often now. It seems to be the result of our protest action.”

 Another action was held the day before; 200 citizens attended a symposium in Tokyo titled “The Human Rights Situation of Foreign Residents in Japan”. (M) 

Photos

差別反対！カウンターアクションが反韓デモを圧倒～東京・新大久保コリアンタウン
4 月21日（日）の午後。東京・新大久保駅前のストリートは、反韓国を掲げる在特会系デモ、それに反対するカウンターアクション、そして警備する機動隊、見 物する通行人、これら4者の人波と騒音が入れ乱れて騒然となった。デモ隊は日の丸を林立させ「在日の特権をゆるすな」と叫んで行進。「日本人を脅して補助 金ざんまい」などのプラカードが見える。一方、カウンター側は「差別反対」をコールし、「仲良くしようぜ」「差別は日本の恥」などと訴えた。この日で4回 目の参加というカウンター側の男性は、「回ごとに向こうが減って、こちら側が増えている。向こうも最初言っていた“死ね殺せ”という言葉が減った。これは 私たちの運動の効果だと思う」と語った。（M） 写真速報・動画（LNTV 5分半）

 

何とかしたい人権感覚マヒ状況～「外国人の人権はいま」シンポジウム
東 京の新大久保や大阪の鶴橋で、「死ね」「みな殺し」などのプラカードを掲げた外国人差別・排除のデモが行われたり、朝鮮学校の無償化を要求する集会に日の 丸の旗を持った団体がおしかけ、宣伝カーで「帰れ」などとがなりたてるなど、人権を無視した外国人差別に心を痛めている方も多いと思います。4月20日 （土）在日本韓国YMCA9階国際ホールで「2013外国人の人権はいま」というシンポジウムが開かれ、会場満杯の約200人が参加しました。(尾澤邦 子) 報告