Great Success of Workers' Rally against Nuclear Power Plants, Aug. 12: Let's Put Labor Unions in the Center of the Struggle!

Seven labor unions including All Japan Dockworkers' Union, National Railway Workers' Union, Japan Construction and Transport Industry Workers Solidarity Union, National Union of General Workers and Tokyo Sanitation Workers' Union jointly held an anti-nuclear power plants rally in Tokyo in the afternoon of August 12.  1,260 people gathered at the venue, Tiara Koto, in Koto-ku. In the beginning of "Workers' Rally to Build the Society Free of Nuclear Power Plants, Aug.12," HIMENO Yozo who introduced himself as a 'singer-farmer' performed "Tsunagaru Inochi (life connecting with one another)" and a few other impressive pieces. ITO Akinobu followed with a proposal of fundamental principles for labor unions in practicing anti-nuclear power activities. Subsequently, KOIDE Hiroaki, an assistant professor at Kyoto University's Research Reactor Institute (photo), gave a lecture titled "Beyond the Reality of Radiation Contamination." "A 1-million-kilowatt nuclear reactor emits several thousand times more radiation than a Hiroshima-type atomic bomb. It is impossible for human beings to coexist with nuclear power plants," said KOIDE. "Since the worst ever disaster of March 11, 2011, it has been the responsibility for all of us to protect children that are much more vulnerable to the damages caused by radiation." Also pointing out that many labor unions had been supportive to the government and industry regarding the development of nuclear energy, KOIDE strongly appealed to the audience that unions should play central roles in the struggle in eliminating nuclear power plants. (By MT, Labornet Reporter)  DetailedReport with Photos  Archive Video (KOIDE's lecture, 2 hrs.,Japanese w/out subtitles)  HighlightScene of the Lecture (Why did I not become a pro-government academic?, 3 min.,Japanese w/out subtitles)  Photoby shinya (participants chanting slogans for solidarity)

脱原発８・１２労働者集会が大成功～労働組合は闘いの中核を担おう

 
８月１２日午後、東京都江東区のティアラこうとうで全港湾労働組合、国鉄労働組合、全日本建設運輸連帯労働組合、全国一般労働組合全国協議会、東京清掃労働組合など7労組の共催で「脱原発社会をめざす８・１２労働者集会」が開かれ、1260名が参加した。 冒頭「唄う農民」を名乗る姫野洋三さんが「つながる生命」など心に残る歌を披露。伊藤彰信氏が労働組合の脱原発運動の基調方針を提起した。その後、小出裕章（写真・京都大学原子炉実験所助教）さんが「放射能汚染の現実を超えて」と題して講演。100万キロワットの原発1基で広島原爆の数千倍の放射能を排出する原発は人間と共存できないと話した。 3.11で最悪の事故が起こった今われわれに課せられた責任は、大人と比べられない大きな被害を受ける子供たちをいかに守るかだと訴えた。また、多数の労働組合は原発を作るのに協力してきたが、廃絶に向けた闘いで労働組合が中心を担うことを参加者に強く訴えた。  （報道部・ＭＴ）写真詳報・アーカイブ（小出裕章講演 2時間）・ハイライト映像「なぜ御用学者にならなかったか」（3分） ・写真「団結ガンバロー」（shinya）