 Think tank holds symposium on 50 years of Spring Struggle The Japan Research Institute of Labour Movement, a think tank of the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren), held a symposium on the "50 Years of the Spring Struggle" and the task for the 2005 spring struggle on January 27 in Tokyo. The panelists were Ohki Kazunori, professor at Nihon Fukushi University, Makino Tomio, professor at Nihon University, and Ikuma Shigemi, Zenroren vice president. Ohki outlined the 50-year history of the Spring Struggle which has achieved wage increases through unions' concerted actions and commented on the recent moves of large corporations and financial circles aimed at wage cuts, stressing the need for the trade union movement to make a serious effort to improve the working conditions of temporary and part-time workers who are rapidly increasing in number. Makino said the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) wage cut offensive is characterized by tactics that replace the industry-wide bargaining on wages with individual labor-management negotiations in each company and efforts to determine wage levels based on personal performance. Makino also pointed out that large corporations are reorganizing themselves to increase their competitiveness as multinational corporations with Japanese characteristics, and are increasing their calls for the Constitution to be revised to serve their purposes. Ikuma proposed that the movement take the 2005 spring struggle as an opportunity to force large corporations to fulfill their social responsibility and thereby win popular support. He said that calls for a substantial wage increase for low-paid young workers who cannot sustain themselves on present wages and for a wage increase for all workers will be supported by all people. (end) |