Listen to the voices of non-regular workers, ‘Raise the minimum wage to 1,000 yen right now!’～ Action held at the Central Minimum Wage Council

 

The Central Minimum Wage Council was held on June 14 to deliberate on the national minimum wage, which will go into effect in October. Nearly 100 unions members campaigning for a “substantial minimum wage hike” converged on the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry. They spoke through a microphone, demanding, “The current national average hourly wage is 798 yen, and it is too low. Raise the minimum wage right now and in each prefecture to 1000 yen, or better still 1500 yen!” During the central council, Health, Labor and Welfare Minister SHIOZAKI　Yasuhisa emphasized, “The minimum wage hike is determined entirely by the economic growth.”  Under the government proposal to raise the wage by 3 % each year (or by 24 yen), we have a long way to go toward achieving the target amount of 1000 yen and up to 1500 yen, and we will have little or no hope for that any time soon. SAITO Hiroki, an executive board member of the National Confederation of Trade Unions commonly known as Zenroren, sat in on the council meeting. “I was kicked out of the meeting as it was closed to the public,” Saito said in a chagrined tone. He was allowed in only at the beginning of the meeting. There are four council members representing workers, all of whom are leaders of Rengo, Japanese Trade Unions Confederation comprising major private companies. The 243 members of the Prefectural Minimum Wage Council are all Rengo-related. There are only a few female members, and no clear standard for electing and closed-door meetings. “It seems impossible for the council to improve the minimum wage system,” Saito said indignantly. (M)

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いますぐ1000円！非正規労働者の声を聞け～「中央最低賃金審議会」行動
 

 6 月14日午後、今年10月からの最低賃金の水準を決める「中央最低賃金審議会・第一回」が厚労省で開催された。「最低賃金大幅引き上げキャンペーン」の労 組メンバー約100人は、厚労省前に集まりマイクで「現在の全国平均時給798円は低すぎる。いますぐどこでも1000円に！1500円をめざして」と訴 えた。審議会で塩崎厚労大臣は「経済成長あっての最賃引き上げ」を強調しており、政府案の年率3％（24円）では「1000～1500円」達成は遠い未来 で、実現もおぼつかない。傍聴した全労連常任幹事の斎藤寛生さんは、「非公開となり追い出された」と悔しそうに語る。傍聴できるのは冒頭だけなのだ。審議 委員には労働者代表が4人いるが、4人とも民間大手企業の「連合」の幹部たち。斎藤さんは「全国243人の審議委員の全員が連合系。女性もわずか。その選 ぶ基準も不透明。そして審議は非公開だ。これでは最賃制度はいっこうに改善されない」と憤っていた。（M）

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Thousands march for workers’ rights on May Day in Tokyo

Some 28,000 workers participated in May Day demonstration held at a Tokyo park by Zenroren and called to stop Abe government’s labor deregulations and reduction of workers’ rights. On the march out to the streets of Tokyo, demonstrators called to protest against the right to collective action and to abolish secrecy law. They also called out to NHK near the park demanding its director MOMII Katsuto to resign.

 Freeter Union also held its own May Day demonstration on May 2 with a slogan, “Anti-rich Life is a Scandal,” in Tokyo’s Shibuya district. More than 120 people who dressed in zombie costumes drew attention from tourists. The zombie attire symbolized poor young people who are forced to live like the living dead and are treated as such by the rich.

(By MATSUMOTO Chie, Freeter Union)

代々木公園の中央メーデーには28000人

5 月1日、東京・代々木公園で開催された中央メーデーにはおよそ28,000人が集まり、安倍政権下ですすむ労働者の権利削減にストップをかけようと訴え た。集会後、参加者は三コースにわかれて都内をデモ行進した。デモ隊は、集団的自衛権行使の反対や秘密保護法の廃止などを呼びかけた。出発地点の代々木公 園では、隣接するNHKを通過中「籾井はいますぐ辞めろ！」などのコールが響く一幕もあった。（松元ちえ)


 自由と生存のメーデー2015～渋谷繁華街を「ゾンビ」でデモ行進

5 月2日、「反富裕 Life is a Scandal」を掲げる「自由と生存のメーデー2015」が東京渋谷の街を約2時間半、デモ行進を行った。呼びかけはフリーター全般労働組合、主催は自 由と生存のメーデー２０１５実行委員会。毎年、メーデー前後の土曜日に若者たちを中心として行われている「自由と生存のメーデー」は、今年は120人以上 の「ゾンビ」を集め、ショッピング客や外国からの観光客で賑わう原宿・渋谷の繁華街をデモ行進した。 このゾンビのメイクは、金持ちには「死んだ奴ら」のように思われている貧しい若者たちのすでに死んでいるような生活を、死にながらも生きる「ゾンビ」に見 立てたものだ。

All unions raise their voices against revision of Worker Dispatching Act

As deliberation of the revision of the  Worker Dispatching Act started on October 29^th, sidewalks in front of the Diet building were packed with Rengo, Zenroren and Zenrokyo union members holding their union flags. Speakers raised their voices against the revision which will force agency workers to work as agency workers for ever. Rengo Vice-president AIKAWA said, “By this revision, contingent jobs will increase and more young people will lose hope for their future. We have to kill it!” NAKAJIMA Yumiko, Secretary General of the Nation Union of General Workers Tokyo Nambu, criticized the Women Empowerment policy of the Abe government. “Women have been cheated all the time. The gender equality level of Japan is 104^th in the world and lowest among advanced countries. We will not be cheated any more. Down with this revision, which will lead to slave labor!” ENDO Ichiro of Joint Job Action told the reporter, “the loss and degradation of jobs under Abe is devastating. His lies won’t be swallowed any more. The three labor federations and labor lawyers are all fighting against the revision. We can scrap the revision by a united labor and public opinion”. (M)

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「生涯ハケン」の派遣法改悪は許さない！～国会前「オール労働組合」が声上げる

「生涯ハケン」に道を開く派遣法改悪が委員会審議に入った10月29日、国会前の歩道は連合・全労連・全労協の組合員とのぼり旗で埋めつくされた。集会では怒りの発言が続いた。「改悪は不安定雇用が増え、将来に希望の持てない若者が増えるということ。何としても粉砕しよう！」と檄を飛ばす相川連合副会長。安倍の「女性活躍政策」に対して全国一般なんぶ書記長の中島由美子さんは「女性たちは騙されぱなしだった。いま日本の女性の地位は世界104位、先進国では最下位。もう騙されない。奴隷労働に道を開くこの法案は絶対に許さない」と声を震わせた。雇用共同アクションの遠藤一郎さんは、記者にこう強調した。「安倍の雇用破壊はひどすぎる。もう嘘っぱちは通用しない。いま3つの労働団体や弁護団が一緒になって立ち上がった。“オール世論・オール労働組合”で派遣法改悪はつぶせる」と。（M）

 動画（YouTube 4分半）

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