Nakama Union's Demonstration against Hashimoto's 'Reform': "It will only impoverish Osaka as a whole!"

Members of two chapters of Nakama Union in Osaka held a demonstration in front of the city hall on January 25 to protest against a series of aggressive changes that the mayor Toru Hashimoto has hastily been introducing under the name of a political reform. (Photo) Municipal employees and public school teachers belonging to the union chapters appealed in the flyer they distributed during the demonstration that Hashimoto's 'reform' lead to a full-scale impoverishment of the population of the city. The flyer reads, "Mayor Hashimoto attempts to slash the social welfare budgets.
Though it is true that increasing subsidies including welfare benefits are heavily pressing the municipal finance, it is a result of the national policy for which the municipal government cannot be blamed. The main cause of the wide-spread poverty is the deregulation regarding non-regular employment that the national government promoted in response to the request by business and industry. In order to alleviate the problem, the mayor should demand the national government to take measures including additional allocation of financial resources. However, he is opting for a massive reduction in welfare budgets instead, starting with the pay-cuts for municipal workers that are of an unbearable level. We strongly oppose to the policy of Mayor Hashimoto."

橋下「市政改革」は大阪市民の総貧困化～なかまユニオンが宣伝行動

橋下市長の危険な動きが続くなか、1月25日、なかまユニオン大阪市職員支部と学校教職員支部は、橋下改革に反対する宣伝行動を市役所前で行った（写真）。「市政改革は大阪市民の総貧困化につながる」としてチラシで次のように訴えた。「橋下市長がやろうとしているのは、福祉関連予算の削減です。大阪市財政を圧迫しているのは、『扶助費』（生活保護などの福祉予算）の増加です。しかし、これは大阪市の責任というより、政府の政策による結果です。財界の要請に応えて非正規雇用を容認することで、貧困を作り出したのです。大阪市としては、政府に対して財源の配分も含めてこうした問題に対する対策を求めるべきですが、橋下市長は福祉予算を削減しようとしています。職員の我慢を超えた給料削減は、その前さばきです。私たちは、そうした橋下市長の政策に反対していきます」