2002 Spring Struggle is tasked with defending people's livelihood -- Akahata editorial, January 11, 2002

The 2002 Spring Struggle has begun with jobs for workers and the people's living conditions and their businesses being in a critical condition, as indicated by the record high unemployment rate. This year's Spring Struggle is taking an aspect more than ever of a major popular struggle in defense of decent livelihoods.

Increasing common demand

As an important aspect of this year's struggle, a common call is increasing among all trade unions in the spring struggle and the groups of people in various movements.

Two trade union national centers, the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) and the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), are demanding an end to arbitrary corporate restructuring, job security, shorter working hours conducive to ending unpaid overtime work and creating jobs; no wage cuts in the name of work-sharing; the enactment of legislation to protect workers' rights, including regulations of worker dismissals; jobs for the unemployed to safeguard their livelihoods; and a wage increase for part-time workers, and a higher minimum wage.

Many trade unions, including those affiliated with Rengo, which opposes shifting heavier burdens onto insured patients without a proper reform of the medical insurance system, are opposing the government plan to increase burdens on patients, along with the Central Council for Promotion of Social Security, and organizations related to social welfare and medical services. Characteristically, medical associations and elderly people's societies in many localities agreed with these calls.

The National Federation of Traders and Producers Organizations (Zenshoren), organizations of small- and medium-sized businesses, Zenroren and Rengo are against the government plan to write off bad loans held by major banks, as the write-offs will cause bankruptcies and unemployment on a larger scale. There were many examples in which regional chambers of commerce and industry and federations of shopping center promotion associations took action for the relief of small businesses and in defense of regional economies.

These are pressing demands which are essential for improving livelihoods and businesses, and job creation and security.

Workers and all sections of the people are hurting primarily because of Prime Minister Koizumi's "structural reform" that supports major companies and demands that the people endure the hardships associated with corporate restructuring and wage cuts led by business circles and major companies. Household incomes and consumption will further decline, as will corporate production. Japan's economy is thus being bogged down in a quagmire.

Basis for a change in economic policy

What workers are demanding in the 2002 Spring Struggle directly confronts the Koizumi "reform" and outrageous attacks by business circles and major companies. Realizing these demands is a struggle to lay the groundwork for a complete change in Japan's economic policy that will help the nation's economy get out of the crisis. It can be called a national struggle for survival.

The important thing in developing the Spring Struggle is to organize struggles in each workplace in order to further the struggle against "restructuring" and for "adequate workplace rules to be established to protect workers' rights."

It's also important to develop movements for the realization of demands in various fields. The Council for Promotion of Social Security has established 235 local branches in all 47 prefectures to carry out the struggle against adverse revisions of the medical system. Grass roots movements based on wider cooperation than ever are being created throughout Japan.

Letユs increase cooperation between the struggle of workers' unions and all the other sections of society in an effort to protect living conditions, jobs, and small businesses against the outrageous attacks by the Koizumi government and business circles, and get out of the crisis in people's living conditions and employment. (end)