Rengo calls for medical insurance bill and contingency bills to be scrapped

The Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), a national trade union center, at its Central Committee meeting on June 27 in Okinawa Prefecture adopted a special resolution against the enactment of the medical insurance bill and the three contingency bills.

Denouncing the three ruling parties for having railroaded the medical insurance bill through the House of Representatives despite the strong opposition of the people, the resolution said that the adverse revision of the medical insurance system would directly influence the living conditions of Rengo members and families.

Pointing out that past Diet discussions have disclosed many defects of the contingency legislation and the government's failure to give clear and unified explanations, the resolution said that bills that can't clear the people's doubts must not be enacted.

In the discussion of the 2002 Spring Struggle, participants in the meeting, especially representatives of smaller trade unions and local Rengo branches, criticized Rengo's activity, arguing that Rengo should establish a basic policy that can work as a general trend of the Spring Struggle and propose standards for wage increases and other demands in concrete forms. (end)