Column by unionist ISHIKAWA Genji on arrest of a non-regular worker for food-poisoning

A contract worker was arrested in late January for allegedly tainting frozen food with pesticide in a food-poisoning incident occurred at a factory of a subsidiary of Maruha Nichiro Holdings Inc., a major seafood processing company late last year. The suspect was reportedly complaining about his wage and making efforts to get a regular worker status. There is no doubt that he was dissatisfied with the working conditions at the factory. Regrettably, even nowadays, some workers seem to be struggling in severe conditions expressed in following remarks by Friedrich Engels: "In poverty, workers have no other choices than starving to death, suicide or crime"; "The first, most uncivilized and most ineffective resistance by workers was committing crimes." However, I urge them not to make a mistake in choosing ways of resistance. You cannot change the society with crimes. Our slogans are: "Labor unions are the most reliable safety net for workers!" and "Let's join a labor union to solve problems for workers!" (excerpt)

* ISHIKAWA Genji is the president of Japan Union, a vice president of National Union of General Workers Tokyo Tobu and the executive director of Labor Consultation Center (a non-profit organization) 
  * Photo (the factory where the food-poisoning occurred, taken from a TV news program) 

犯罪によって現状を変えることはできない～石川源嗣のコラム

水産大手マルハニチロ子会社の群馬工場での農薬混入事件で契約社員が逮捕された。かつて彼は「正社員になれるよう頑張っている」「しかしこんな給料じゃ、 やっていけない」と愚痴をこぼしていたという。労働条件に不満を持っていたことは間違いないようだ。「貧しさのために、労働者には、餓死か、自殺か、犯罪 かの選択肢しかない」「労働者の抵抗の最初の、もっとも粗野な、そしてもっとも効果のない形態が犯罪であった」 というエンゲルスの言葉は残念ながらまだ時代遅れになっていない。しかしその方法を間違えてはならない。犯罪によって現状を変えることはできない。私たち のスローガンは「労働者にとって最強のセーフティネットは労働組合！」、「労働問題を労働組合加入で解決しよう！」である。（石川源嗣のコラム）
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