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| January 18, 2011 |
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| Spring Labor Offensive 2011 |
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Working population of the country has kept reducing their income since 1997. Meanwhile the seasonal labor offensive has been weakened. A call, ‘let’s demand a big wage increase, if no, let’s go on strike – is not strong this year. Let’s break through the practice of separate negotiation of labor unions with respective employers. Spring Labor Offensive 2011 can be won, if this custom is broken. A pre-scheduled negotiation tactic will not be successful.
FROM SEPARATE NEGOTIATION TO UNIFIED ONE
The year 2011 has begun. National centers and trade unions have set policies for coming Spring Offensive.
The national centers have own slogans: the Rengo (=Japanese Trade Union Confederation) demands to ‘swiftly recover a wage level to that of peak year (1997)’, the Zenroren (=National Confederation of Trade Unions), to ‘defend employment by boosting economy through a wage hike for all workers’, and the Zenrokyo (=National Trade Union Council), to ‘secure employment by which workers can enjoy a job and lead a decent life’. The labor side has ushered in the campaign.
Companies Gain More Profits
Big Business kept increasing profits in 2010. On the other hand, however, wages of workers have been curbed and irregular workers, sacked.
A total of retained profits of Japanese Big Business exceed 240 trillion Yen. The government’s decision made recently to cut corporate tax rate encourages Big Business to earn more in spite of the excuse of maintaining ‘international competitiveness’. Big Business is reluctant to listen to a request of Premier Kan, who asked employers to ‘allocate the portion yielded by the reduction to wage hikes and employment of workers’.
The Keidanren (=Japan Business Federation) had hated spring season until the decade of 1990, but since 2000 it has kept different posture. A practice of labor-management negotiation has changed. The labor used to have unified, industry-based talks, but lately they have company-based, separate talks. Rules of Spring Labor Offensive collapse and undermine universal participation of workers.
‘Go on strike when workers are dissatisfied’ – this was a slogan at the peak time, when the industry-based offensives were staged to lead workers. Today, lofty slogans are raised at the level of national centers and industry unions, but workers’ side is obliged to have separate talks with respective employers. Trade unions cannot unite the labor in general on the horizontal scene, while employers continue to enjoy a superior position.
In Japan 60% of domestic consumption represents personal consumption. Without an increase of personal expenditure, the entire economy cannot have a chance to be boosted. Since the decade of 1990 the management has accumulated huge profits in the globalized economy, and on the other hand, it has forced workers to work more to ‘win in the international competitions’. Consequently, the corporate side has reserved a huge amount of retained earnings.
However, fair distribution has never been made. Employers do not pay attention to correct policies: they are to curb wages and employ workers on the unstable, irregular basis. As a result, the average personal income of Japanese has fallen from the second rank to the 18th in the world.
The Rengo asserts to ‘maintain the workers’ wage norm and individual wage level and demand an increase by 5000 Yen for trade unions which do not have an annual hike system’. In the concrete context, however, each union will involve in separate negotiation talks on wages. A national center and industry union cannot play the right roles, and therefore, each union will be exposed to a disadvantageous position in the solitary way. Under this scheme Spring Offensive 2011 will be blocked without gains.
Reconstruct Solidarity among Unions
An organization rate of workers by trade union is currently on the level of 18%, but the total number of unionized workers counts over 10 million. In the Spring Offensive union members must be united horizontally. Nobody will ask ‘When did the labor offensive begin?’ or ‘When has the offensive ended?, if they are firmly united.
The Rengo, Zenroren and Zenrokyo share 2011 policies in common; to improve working conditions and demand a guarantee of the minimum wage for irregular workers. Labor offensive will be successful only when union members are active in each workplace, organizing rallies, study groups and activities. These struggles must be jointly supported during Spring Labor Offensive.
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