Withdraw from the Negotiations! ～ ‘This Is Not OK: 2,700 Gather for 12.8 Massive Action against TPP

“Is this OK?! 12.8 Massive Action against TPP” drew 2,700 people on Dec. 8 to Hibiya Open Air Music Hall in Tokyo. This rally was organized by 165 organizations including a group of lawyers against TPP, a group of university staff calling on immediate withdrawal from TPP negotiations, Japan homemakers’ association, Farmers’ Organization, medical groups, co-ops and labor unions. The organizers and Diet members spoke at the event. “While the government promoted participation in TPP negotiations by saying that we shouldn’t miss the bandwagon, it kept the talks confidential. It is reported that the settlement will be concluded by the end of this year. We can’t accept it. The government should withdraw from the negotiations,” a speaker said. (By OZAWA Kuniko OZA)

交渉から脱退を！～「これでいいのか?! TPP 12.8大行動」に2700人
 

 12 月8日(日)午後1時から、東京・日比谷公園野外音楽堂において「これでいいのか?!TPP 12.8大行動」が行われ、2700人が参加しました。この集会は、TPPに反対する弁護士ネットワーク、TPP参加交渉からの即時脱退を求める大学教員 の会、主婦連合会が呼びかけ、農民団体、医療関係団体、生協、労働組合など165団体が賛同しました。呼びかけ団体や国会議員のあいさつがありました。 「バスに乗り遅れるなとTPP交渉への参加をあおっておきながら、今は“守秘義務”としていっさい明らかにせぬまま、年内妥結が伝えられている。許せな い。交渉から脱退を！」という発言が続きました。（尾澤邦子）

Bereaved parents sue former Watami president for daughter’s suicide due to overwork

MORI Tsuyoshi and Yuko filed a lawsuit against the Japanese pub chain Watami Co. and its former president WATANABE Miki, a member of the upper house, at the Tokyo District Court on Dec. 9 in demand for 153 million yen for their daughter’s death. They claim that Watanabe and his company breached the management’s obligation to maintain workplace safety.

In February 2012, the State decided the death of 26-year-old MORI Mina as a case of work- related death caused by karoshi or death from overwork. Mori committed suicide in June 2008, two months after she was hired as a regular employee at Watami.

  Mori’s parents joined the National Union of General Workers, Tokyo Tobu, after their daughter’s death to pursuit the investigation and cause of her death so as the company never to repeat the same tragedy.(National Union of General Workers, Tokyo Tobu)

*Photo: The bereaved entering the court for filing a suit

ワタミ過労死遺族がワタミと渡辺美樹参議院議員らを提訴

 
大 手居酒屋チェーン「和民」で正社員だった森美菜さん（当時26歳）が入社2カ月後の2008年6月に自殺し、昨年2月に国が過労による労災と認定した問題 で、遺族である両親の豪さんと祐子さんが、ワタミとその社長だった渡辺美樹参議院議員らに対し、12月9日、森さんの死亡は会社と経営者らの安全配慮義務 違反に原因があるとして約1億5300万円の損害賠償を求める訴えを東京地裁に起こしました。その後、遺族が加入している全国一般東京東部労組と弁護団と ともに厚生労働省で記者会見を行いました。（東京東部労組）

＊写真＝提訴のため東京地裁に入る遺族ら

Interview with a leader of a Fukushima teachers' union: "Our dedication was repaid with reduced wages, but we fought back and won!"

In FY2012, wages of national government employees were reduced by 7.8% in order to relocate fund to programs for reconstruction from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disasters. The pay cut was extended to local government employees in FY2013 and salaries of teachers and other personnel working for public schools in Fukushima Prefecture were reduced by 4.44 to 7.77% in July 2013. "The workloads of teachers and other school personnel have increased since the disasters, and they have been striving in difficult situations. The government is indebted to them and ought to have increased allowances. Instead, the government reduced their salaries. It is totally unacceptable," said ABE Akihiko (photo), the secretary general of Koriyama Branch of Fukushima Teachers' Union  in an interview conducted on December 12. 534 divisions of the union, including all the divisions of Koriyama Branch, adopted a resolution opposing to the pay cut. As a result, the government decided to discontinue it as of January 2014. (By YUMOTO Masanori) 

「恩を仇で返す給与カット」はね返す～福島県教組郡山支部・阿部書記長に聞く

 
政 府は2012年度から「復興財源の捻出」と称して実施してきた国家公務員給与の大幅カット（7.8％）を、今年は地方公務員にも断行した。その結果福島県 の教職員の場合、今年の7月から4.44％～7.77％の給与カットが強行されてきたのである。「震災以降学校現場は、仕事が増え大変な状況にあります。 その中で働く教職員に対し、手当増額を行うならともかく、給与カットを実施するなど『恩を仇で返す』以外の何物でもありません」と阿部書記長（写真）は 語った。福島県教組郡山支部では、「給与カット反対」の分会決議がすべての分会からあげられた。福島県内からは５３４分会から同様の決議があげられ、結果 給与カットは来年1月で打ち切られることとなった。（湯本雅典 /取材・12月12日）