July 25-27, 2013
The Japan Federation of Medical Workers’ Union (Iroren) announced that it will launch a signature-collection campaign in order to raise public awareness of the need to drastically increase the number of doctors and medical and nursing-care workers as well as tighten regulations on nightshift work.
This came from the union’s new action program for next year, which was adopted at its regular Convention held from July 24 to 26 in Atami City in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Explaining the new action program, Iroren Secretary General Nakano Chikako pointed out that in order for medical and nursing-care workers to provide safe services to patients and users of their facilities and to work as long as they want, it is necessary to improve the nightshift work environment and increase the number of people willing to work in the medical and nursing-care industries.
Nakano proposed a signature campaign urging the government to take measures for a drastic increase in the number of medical and nursing-care workers and a better environment for rotating shift workers. She called on union members to collect signatures from one million people annually over the next three years.
In order to bring about a success in the campaign, informing the public about the harmful effects of nightshift work and long work hours is important, she said.
In the discussion about the proposed action program, a delegate from Oita Prefecture reported about a hospital which withdrew from the two-rotation shift system and restored the three-rotation system because 90% of hospital workers opposed excessive long night working hours under the two-rotation shifts.
Delegates from Shimane and Kochi prefectures reported that more and more local governments in their prefectures have taken a favorable stance toward Iroren’s demand for increasing the number of medical and nursing-care staff and making stricter rules in regard to nightshift work.
A delegate from Shimane said that 11 local assemblies, including the prefectural assembly, adopted a petition in this regard submitted by Iroren’s prefectural office.
The Convention reelected Yamada Mamiko as the chair and Nakano Chikako as the secretary general.
This came from the union’s new action program for next year, which was adopted at its regular Convention held from July 24 to 26 in Atami City in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Explaining the new action program, Iroren Secretary General Nakano Chikako pointed out that in order for medical and nursing-care workers to provide safe services to patients and users of their facilities and to work as long as they want, it is necessary to improve the nightshift work environment and increase the number of people willing to work in the medical and nursing-care industries.
Nakano proposed a signature campaign urging the government to take measures for a drastic increase in the number of medical and nursing-care workers and a better environment for rotating shift workers. She called on union members to collect signatures from one million people annually over the next three years.
In order to bring about a success in the campaign, informing the public about the harmful effects of nightshift work and long work hours is important, she said.
In the discussion about the proposed action program, a delegate from Oita Prefecture reported about a hospital which withdrew from the two-rotation shift system and restored the three-rotation system because 90% of hospital workers opposed excessive long night working hours under the two-rotation shifts.
Delegates from Shimane and Kochi prefectures reported that more and more local governments in their prefectures have taken a favorable stance toward Iroren’s demand for increasing the number of medical and nursing-care staff and making stricter rules in regard to nightshift work.
A delegate from Shimane said that 11 local assemblies, including the prefectural assembly, adopted a petition in this regard submitted by Iroren’s prefectural office.
The Convention reelected Yamada Mamiko as the chair and Nakano Chikako as the secretary general.
