2004 Spring Struggle to tackle employment, salary, pension issues

The National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) will carry out the 2004 Spring Struggle that calls for citizens' concern about employment, salaries, and pensions to be addressed as well as the Constitution and peace to be defended.

The Spring Struggle is an annual concerted trade union action demanding wage increases and better working conditions.

At a Zenroren meeting on December 5 to discuss union strategy for the Spring Struggle, Kumagai Kanemichi, Zenroren president, pointed out that large corporations are trying to maximize their profits at workers' cost. He stressed the need to organize struggles to win a wage increase for all workers in opposition to the Japan Business Federation's wage cut policy.

Zenroren-affiliated unions will continue to hold weekly publicity actions and organize a strike with a million people participating on April 15 to block adverse revisions of the pension system. (end)