Local networks of workers and citizens unite to foil contingency bills

The government and the ruling coalition parties have a plan to get the three contingency bills discussed and enacted during an extraordinary Diet session in this autumn.

Citizens and workers have set up some local networks to foil the bills, irrespective of their political or trade union affiliation.

In Ibaraki Prefecture, such a network was formed on September 3, at the call of trade unions affiliated with the National Trade Union Confederation (Zenroren), the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), and independent unions.

The network is aimed at foiling the bills on a non-partisan basis so that never again will similar bills be proposed.

In Aichi Prefecture, an Organizing Committee in Defense of the Constitution's Article 9 had a rally in early June with 5,000 people participating. The committee has a wide range of trade unions, citizens organizations, religious people, the Japanese Communist Party, the Social Democratic Party and the New Socialist Party as members. In July the committee carried out a publicity activity every week and will resume it this month.

In Iwaki City in Fukushima Prefecture, more than 300 citizens from 51 organizations including the JCP, SDP and Democratic Party of Japan gathered and confirmed that they will develop the movement aiming at the autumn Diet session.

In a regular convention of the All Japan Prefectural and Municipal Workers' Union (Jichiro), affiliated with Rengo, the president called for developing the movement to oppose the war policy together with the people.

The president of the National Union of General Workers (Zenkoku Ippan), also a Rengo member, said that the union must learn the bitter lesson of the prewar union in cooperating with the government war policy. (end)