Employment discrimination in JR (Japan Rail) still continues – “Appeal run in front of the Parliament” continued 55 times

 

1,047 former national railway workers, mostly Kokuro (National Railworkers’ Union) members, who were dismissed at its privatization, reached a settlement with the Japanese Government in June 2010. However, the government’s promise, “The Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport makes efforts to employ members of the Kokuro Struggle Group (former national railway workers who were fired) at JR companies”, was never fulfilled. None of them were hired by JR. NAKANO Hayato, a member of the Kitami Struggle Group in Hokkaido, started his 30-km “appeal run” around the Japanese Diet Building once a month from May 2012 to protest the broken promise. His friends and supporters joined his action and together continued to protest nuclear power generation, the pro-corporate TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) and the War Bill. Nakano targeted to continue the run 100 times but decided to end it at the 55^th time on November 22, 2016 partly due to the passing of SAKUMA Tadao, a Kokuro member and one of his main supporters. On that day, some prominent activists joined the final run. Nakano, 54, energetically said, “The next year is the 30^th anniversary of the privatization. Now, there are great many problems especially with JR Hokkaido, whose operating foundation is the most vulnerable. I continue my struggle based in my present residence in Shikoku”. (M)

<http://www.labornetjp.org/news/2016/1122shasin> Photo flash

JR不採用問題は終わっていない！～「国会前アピールラン」55回で終了

2010年6月、国鉄労働者1047名の解雇問題は、国との間で和解した。しかし和解の際の、「国土交通大臣がJR各社への国労闘争団員の採用に努力する」という約束は守られず、JR 各社への復帰は一人も叶わなかった。北見闘争団の中野勇人さん（当時49歳）は、これに抗議するため、国会を周回する約30キロの「アピールラン」を2012年5月から月1回始めた。仲間が集い、国鉄問題だけでなく、反原発・TPP・戦争法なども訴えてきた。当初100回を目標にしてきたが、一緒にたたかってきた佐久間忠夫氏 の死去などもあり、ことし11月22日の55回目で終了することになった。この日は、講談師の神田香織さんや全労協の金澤壽議長もやってきた。中野さんは54歳になったが「来年は分割民営化30 年。JR北海道の問題も噴出している。これからも四国をベースに運動をつづけていく」と元気いっぱいに語っていた。（M）