Unionists Rush In to Help Us --- Akira Imai's Photo Exhibition #40

The national center of labor unions of Japan consists of three organizations: Rengo (Japanese Trade Union Confederation), Zenroren(National Confederation of Trade Unions), and Zenrokyo (Natinal Trade Union Council). This is the photo used for the poster appealing the 2009 spring laborer offensive by one of them, Zenrokyo. Looking at the poster, one of members of Zentoitsu (Zentoitsu Workers Union) said, "She had a hard time. She jumped down from the second floor and had her leg bone fractured." It was the end of August last year that the Zentoitsu headquarters received a report saying, "Something outrageous is happening in Yamanashi." In the incident, more than a dozen people including the president of a company attacked a company dormitory when occupants were asleep to do violence to six trainees from China in order to force them to return to China. The incident was revealed when two of the six escaped the scene and reported it to the Zentoitsu. Ms. A suffered bone fracture while trying to escape. Ms. A says, "It made us happy that union members rushed to help us out when we were in trouble." (Akira Imai)


労働組合が駆けつけてくれた～今井明の写真館・40
　日本の労働組合のナショナルセンターは、連合、全労連、全労協の三団体である。そのひとつ全労協の2009春闘ポスターに使われたのが、この写真である。ポスターを見た全統一労組の組合員が「彼女は大変だったのよ。二階から飛び降りて足の骨を折ったの」という。全統一労組に「山梨で大変な事件が起きている」と連絡が入ったのは、昨年の8月末。会社の社長をはじめとした十数人が、寮の寝込みを襲い中国人研修生6人に暴行を加え強制帰国させようとした事件である。逃げた2人が全統一労組に助けを求めて、事が明らかになった。Aさんは、その時に骨折したのである。Aさんは「私たちが大変なときに、労働組合が駆けつけてくれたのが嬉しかった」という。（今井明）