trader

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Small traders and producers hold general assembly

The National Federation of Traders and Producers Organizations (Zenshoren) on May 29 closed its 3-day general assembly by adopting an action policy calling on its members to increase its membership in order to realize the demands of small- and medium-sized business owners.

The Zenshoren 47th annual meeting was held in Chiba City and was attended by about 800 members.

Speaking as a guest on May 27, Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi reported that in the last four years 510,000 or 12 percent of total small- and medium-sized businesses in Japan became bankrupt or closed down. Criticizing Koizumi "structural reform" policies for turning Japan into "the cold society of disparity under the law of the jungle," he said that the JCP will strive to correct "the distorted politics that serve large corporations' profit making" jointly with Zenshoren and its grassroots organizations called Democratic Merchants and Manufacturers Associations (Minsho) as well as a wide ranging group of people.

Ichida stated that since its foundation in 1951, Zenshoren has advanced its activities to protect small- and medium-sized businesses and has played a major role in the Japanese democratic movement to defend the peace Constitution under the banner, "Peace is the basis of our prosperity." He called on them to continue to advance by making use of the great tradition.

On the last day of the meeting, seven local members reported on their local Zenshoren activities. A representative of Zenshoren Fukushima prefectural organization made a report on their struggle that successfully forced the prefectural assembly to enact an ordinance to regulate large-scale retail stores for the first time in Japan. He said that cooperation had been promoted to involve conservatives by sticking to the common ground of better town development.
- Akahata, May 28, 29, and 30, 2006