July 4, 2026
Japanese Communist Party Vice Chair Ogata Yasuo, who is also in charge of the JCP International Commission, on July 2 visited the headquarters of the General Confederation Labour (CGT) in Montreuil, France and held talks with CGT international relations officials.
Ogata handed to them a copy of JCP Central Committee Chair Shii Kazuo’s book, “Disposable Time and Capital (English version)” and referred to discussions which Shii held with CGT officials in September 2024 during his visit to Europe as the head of the JCP delegation. Noting that the discussions dealing with freely disposable time and a fight for shorter working hours without wage cuts, Ogata said that this had great implications for the JCP’s subsequent activities and theoretical study.
One of the CGT officials, Denis Meynent, who attended the talks with Shii, said that Shii’s research on free time in line with Marx’s theory makes a significant contribution to the theoretical development in this field.
Another CGT official, Fabienne Rouchy, explained the current situation of work involving AI. She criticized the use of AI in remote work for leading to longer working hours and labor intensification, and pointed out that this is a sign of capitalism’s productivity obsession that encroaches on individuals’ free time and private lives. She said that the CGT is promoting campaigns for a shorter workweek as well as for tighter regulations aimed at preventing technological innovations such as AI from worsening working conditions.
Rouchy mentioned that due to the recent heat wave, nearly 1,000 people died last week alone from the heat, and said that the CGT is demanding that the government take emergency actions to protect workers’ health and lives, including ordering employers to suspend their operations when the risk of heatstroke exceeds the government-set standards.
Ogata and the CGT officers confirmed that the JCP and the CGT will continue to exchange views on theorical implications regarding working hours and disposable time.
Ogata was visiting France to attend the 40th congress of the French Communist Party (July 3-5 in Lille).
Past related article:
> Shii expresses his hope to trigger reading movement focused on Marx’s ‘Capital’ in Japan [July 31, 2025]
Ogata handed to them a copy of JCP Central Committee Chair Shii Kazuo’s book, “Disposable Time and Capital (English version)” and referred to discussions which Shii held with CGT officials in September 2024 during his visit to Europe as the head of the JCP delegation. Noting that the discussions dealing with freely disposable time and a fight for shorter working hours without wage cuts, Ogata said that this had great implications for the JCP’s subsequent activities and theoretical study.
One of the CGT officials, Denis Meynent, who attended the talks with Shii, said that Shii’s research on free time in line with Marx’s theory makes a significant contribution to the theoretical development in this field.
Another CGT official, Fabienne Rouchy, explained the current situation of work involving AI. She criticized the use of AI in remote work for leading to longer working hours and labor intensification, and pointed out that this is a sign of capitalism’s productivity obsession that encroaches on individuals’ free time and private lives. She said that the CGT is promoting campaigns for a shorter workweek as well as for tighter regulations aimed at preventing technological innovations such as AI from worsening working conditions.
Rouchy mentioned that due to the recent heat wave, nearly 1,000 people died last week alone from the heat, and said that the CGT is demanding that the government take emergency actions to protect workers’ health and lives, including ordering employers to suspend their operations when the risk of heatstroke exceeds the government-set standards.
Ogata and the CGT officers confirmed that the JCP and the CGT will continue to exchange views on theorical implications regarding working hours and disposable time.
Ogata was visiting France to attend the 40th congress of the French Communist Party (July 3-5 in Lille).
Past related article:
> Shii expresses his hope to trigger reading movement focused on Marx’s ‘Capital’ in Japan [July 31, 2025]
