Toward “a Secure Society Built around Work as its
Core Theme”- A Proposal for the Image of Society Our Country Should Aim to
Realize -Japanese Trade Union Confederation (JTUC-RENGO)

Let us realize “a secure society built around work as its core
theme”RENGO will make every effort, and bring all its strength together, to build “asecure society built around work as its core theme” as a base for all working
people.
The term ‘all working people’ includes currently employed workers, nomatter whether they are regular workers or non-regular workers, or whether
they are union members or non-union members. If it also includes retired
persons who have left the front line of work, children who are about to enter
into the world of work and the family members of workers, it represents anoverwhelming majority of the Japanese people.
A secure society is a society where decent work is guaranteed and where asystem is established to enable people to respond to all risks at all stages of
their lives, such as sickness, unemployment, child care, old age, and others.
It is also a society where support is provided for those who wish to play anactive part in society and where people are bound closely together inappropriate relations.
RENGO aims to establish “a secure society built around work as its core
theme” by further strengthening its activities both qualitatively andquantitatively, while obtaining a consensus of its affiliates and establishing
network-type cooperation with many organizations, including NPOs andindividuals engaged in welfare services for workers while upholding thesame ideals.

December 2, 2010
59th Central Committee Meeting

Contents
Let us realize “a secure society built around work as its core theme”
Chapter 1:

Why do we now propose a new image of the society we should aim torealize?
1. Sustainability of society under threat – Beyond insecure society
2. The “secure employment society” established in Japan thus far and its life
security system in the future
3. RENGO’s Vision for the 21st Century and the image of society that RENGO
should aim to realize
Chapter 2: The shape of “a secure society built around work as its core theme”
1. Why is work a core theme?
2. Everyone works and has mutual ties with other people who support eachother
3. Realizing decent work-

Income that corresponds to the value of the work-

The workplace community and the establishment of work rules tosupport it- Realizing a work‐life balance
4. Qualitative strengthening of employment and the creation of employment
opportunities
5. Seamless security leading to hopefulness
Chapter 3: The base supporting “a secure society built around work as its core
theme”
1. A government that is effective, decentralized and reliable
2. A society with fair burden-sharing
3. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and a sound labor-management
relationship
4. Global environmental preservation and the creation of green jobs as
preconditions for sustainability
Chapter 4: The role and responsibilities required of the trade union movement

1. The role required of the trade union movement as a focal point of the social
movement
2. A trade union movement visible in the regions
3. Succession to and development of the values which the trade union
movement has carefully preserved and the raising of the next generation
4. Necessity for a trade union movement linked with the world

Chapter 1: Why do we now propose a new image of thesociety we should aim to realize?
1. Sustainability of society under threat – Beyond insecuresociety
In today’s Japanese society, many people face various kinds of anxieties in theirlives.
A large number of young people are tormented by unforeseeable insecurity overwhether or not they will be able to obtain a stable income and form a family . Youngmothers are weary from the dual burdens of childcare and work and are at a loss
about the worries of child rearing. Parents whose children have reachedhigher-level schools are at their wit’s end over how to manage to pay school fees
until their children graduate.

Even if they can continue to work until theirretirement age, the prospects for managing their lives after retirement arebecoming increasingly dark.
Those who work in non-regular employment are facing hardships of how to manage
their lives on low wages. They live every day with the fear of having theiremployment cancelled at any time. On the other hand, those who work in regular
employment are burdened with long working hours and mental stress, feelingunease over their health and suffering from poor physical condition. Moreover, they
feel mounting dissatisfaction with the fact that they are not obtaining appropriatecompensation for their work.
There is a sense that the distance between people is increasing and that society isdisintegrating, and this is amplifying insecurity. Mutual ties or linkages between
people are weakening. Common ties to a region or a company or to blood relations
have declined and more people feel isolated from or overlooked by other people. It is
the ties that people have with one another which support society and the systems
through which the security of people is guaranteed. These very ties are weakening.
On the other hand, economic and social disparities are expanding. Everybody
naturally considers that a person will receive an income or become well-off inaccordance with their efforts and abilities. In this country, however, disparities have
expanded so excessively, according to both statistics as well as with actual
experience that all efforts to cultivate abilities have come to be felt as futile and in
vain.
Together with weakening social ties and linkages, couples who have difficulties
making work and family life compatibile choose not to have any children for thereason that the childcare system supported by society is inadequate. The poverty
issue among the young is accelerating the tendency for the numbers of unmarried
men and women to increase and for the birthrate to decline.
Those people who have lost hope and have been thrown into despair choose to taketheir own lives. A society where more than thirty thousand people commit suicide
every year is abnormal.
The social ties and the linkages between people have thus been weakened and,accompanying this, anxiety and distrust have been amplified. In our country now,
sustainability in all economic and social aspects is under threat.
When was it that our country became such a society?

The “Izanami Keiki,” said tohave been the longest period of economic prosperity after the Second World War,was smashed apart by the Lehman Shock without leading to any real sense ofaffluence. Pessimism about the future hangs over the people like a cloud.

The

unmistakable contrast with past prosperity and the comparison with theremarkable economic growth in other East Asian countries, is causing the view thatJapan is in steady decline to be emphasized and an inward-looking attitude toward
other countries to be created.

However, our country has overcome great dangers many times up until now,
responding flexibly to changes in the world and society to build a stable society. Itshould be recognized that the current danger will not be solved through an
extension of our past success experiences. It is because we are now in such a timethat it is necessary to look back upon and confirm once again the goals that thetrade union movement has aimed to realize and the fact that the trade union
movement has been the mainstay of social ties and linkages. We should start fromour own history and experiences, and then breaking through the difficulties, wemust change course so as to lead to a more hopeful and secure society. If we advanceholding our ideals high, always working out a new and flexible strategy inaccordance with the situation, and start working on it hand in hand with one
another, we will certainly overcome the problems of this insecure society.

2. The “secure employment society” established in Japan thus far
and its life security system in the futureThus far, Japan has built up a “secure employment society (a society where
employment is secured),” which has surpassed almost all other countries in theworld. While it cannot be said that social security systems and welfare systems
have developed sufficiently, it can be said that instead of these the conditions forfinding employment were at least once secured for the majority of people. During
the chaotic period after the Second World War, labor and management learned
lessons together from long and violent labor disputes and a mechanism which
promoted the development of the potential abilities of workers while securing stable
employment for them was formed on the basis of mutual trust. The productivity
improvement movement initiated in 1955 raised “three basic principles for the
productivity

improvement

movement,”i.e.

“maintenanceof

employment”,“cooperation and consultation between labor and management” and “fairdistribution of rewards.” Through the unremitting efforts of labor and management,
the strength to push forward economic growth was generated and contributed to theformation of the secure employment society.
Moreover, a mechanism by which the construction industry absorbed employment
in the regions in place of shrinking primary industries through government
protection measures for small businesses and through public works, sustained the“secure employment society,” keeping unemployment under control.

In short, here in Japan, the life security system has been established with
employment as its core. It can be safely said that the security system functioned
well as a Japanese-type model until the 1980s. Nobody should underestimate theconstruction of the mechanism which Japan had achieved. However, together with
the intensification of market competition through the advance of globalization, themanagement placed priority on seeking short-term profits and shareholderinterests appeared on the stage, causing the storm of market fundamentalism torage, leading to large changes in social and economic conditions in Japan, throughwhich numerous weak points of the mechanism have come to be revealed.

This iswhat is now causing this mechanism to lag increasingly behind the times, thus
threatening sustainability. The time lag of this mechanism is expanding due to bothpressure from abroad and the actualization of problems inside the country.
The biggest problem threatening sustainability from outside is the advance of
free-for-all economic globalization. Economic globalization has also rushed
mercilessly toward countries in which democracy and trade union rights are notestablished, and has created there a small elite class of rich people on the one handand a great number of lower class poor people on the other.

The income gap

between the most affluent fifth of the people and poorest fifth of the people in theworld expanded to 75 to 1 in 1999 compared to 30 to 1 in 1960. In order to correct forsuch negative aspects, the international trade union movement has called for
campaigns to establish international fair labor standards together with campaigns
for globalizing democracy and trade union rights under the slogan “the economy
should be managed for people”.
As companies advanced across borders, causing problems which even governments
and trade unions could not control, discussions already began as far back as the
1970s that it might be necessary to set a code of conduct for the behavior of
multinational companies and monitor compliance with it. Thereafter, with further
advance of globalization, especially after the collapse of the Cold War structure
between the East and West in the 1990s, companies have sought locations wherecosts are lower, and their behavior in neglecting trade union rights and humanrights has been evident in various locations.
As for internal Japanese problems, the following four problems can be pointed out:Firstly, employment security thus far has focused on the employment of maleregular workers and it was assumed that the income of these male workers
supported their wives and children. The same was true with tax systems and social
security systems. Society was marked by gaps between men and women in wages
and treatment.
Secondly, once they were employed as new school graduates, most male earners
were brought up to be full-fledged company-oriented men, and through various
fringe benefits and the wage system based on the life-long employment system, they
were expected to view their company as their “lifelong house.”

Under this“enclosure-type” mechanism, family lives tended to be sacrificed to an extreme
fervor for company growth and it was difficult for each of them to attempt thechallenge of a new career.
Thirdly, even though perfect employment may be said to have been realized, there
existed a large number of workplaces which harbored problems of wages andtreatment. Along with the lag in social security and welfare, there were areas inwhich poverty was not eliminated.
Fourthly, the mechanism thus far has been “the convoy system” of bureaucrat-led
catch-up. However, even after the effect of administrative guidance was lost, theadministration still attempted to control the business world. The collusive structure
between the administration and the business world was preserved, as seen in thevested rights pursued by special-interest politicians as mediators. This not only
damaged economic dynamism, but also swelled into a strong distrust of theadministration.
What is now asked of us is to drastically upgrade the strong points of the life
security built on the core of employment while removing the weak points of themechanism which had been formed thus far with the participation of the Japanesetrade union movement. Since its early days, RENGO has struggled to construct a
vision of the society it wishes to aim for. Now that RENGO is celebrating its 20th
anniversary, the prescience of RENGO’s Vision for the 21st Century is becoming
clearer day by day.

By the middle of the 1990s, after the collapse of the bubble economy, it was veryclear to everyone that the Japanese (life security) mechanisms that had been inplace up until that time had reached the end of their useful lives. However, thepolitical sphere and the administration were unable to present a vision for drastic
reform. Taking advantage of the situation, a neo-liberalistic tide began to sweep
over the economic and political arena with the intention of replacing all theso-called outdated mechanisms with market fundamentalism. People had indeed
raised voices of dissatisfaction and frustration with the mechanisms in which thevested interests of the bureaucrats and pork-barrel politicians were rampant and inwhich free choice was restricted. Therefore, this tide, coupled with the“theatricalization” of politics, gained strong support in elections for some time andled to the promotion of market fundamentalist reforms. However, such reforms only
tore down the old mechanisms and could not create new life security mechanisms toreplace the old ones.
Againstthebackgroundofintensifying

marketcompetition

causedbyoverwhelming neo-liberalism and advancing globalization, companies inclined
towards shareholder-based management or short-term profit-seeking management
instead of the employee-sovereignty concept which had hitherto characterized
Japanese-type management. The three principles of the productivity improvement
movement were openly ignored. By keeping wages low and calling for various
different patterns of work, companies reduced the number of regular workers andincreased the number of cheap and easy-to-use non-regular workers. Human beingscame to be treated as objects classified under supply costs.

The government,

without bothering to arrange safety nets, promoted these policies to boost the
profit-seeking activities of companies. The result was that disparities expanded,poverty increased, ties between people weakened and the sense of insecurity among
the people was further aggravated. The politician-bureaucrat-business triangle
itself was preserved with little change, and because the issues of disparity andinsecurity remained unresolved, the outcome was the historical change of powerthat took place in the general election of 2009.

3. RENGO’s Vision for the 21st Century and the image of societythat RENGO should aim to realize
Immediately prior to the start of the 21st century, at its 29th Central Committeemeeting held on November 17, 1998, RENGO decided to set up “a committee todiscuss the challenges of RENGO in the 21st century,” and initiated discussions on
the strategies of the trade union movement moving toward the 21st century. The
committee finalized a “RENGO Movement to Cave a way for the 21st century –RENGO’s Vision for the 21st Century” (hereafter “Vision for the 21st Century”), thetext of which was adopted by the 7th RENGO Congress held in October 2001.
The Vision for the 21st Century was a text which examined the end point andlimitations of the Japanese-type life security mechanism in force thus far as well as
its connection with the trade union movement. Vision for the 21st Century looked
toward a new social vision and new strategies. Out of recognition that theconventional system was shuddering under the impact of globalization, information
technology innovation and other factors, the text gave a strong warning to the ideathat market fundamentalism might take the place of the conventional system.
RENGO thus held up “a welfare-type society centered on work” as the image of the
new society the trade union movement should aim to realize.
What vision did “a welfare-type society centered on work” entail? It was a concept of“a society which places the highest value upon work while guaranteeing theopportunity to work and fairness in work for all people, with safety nets set in place
to enable everyone to work towards achievement of self-realization in security”. The
concept aims to maintain the firm employment security of the past, while expandingsocial solidarity and thorough public support to enable every individual, including
not only male regular workers but also female non-regular workers, will be able towork and become his or her own master. It was thus emphasized that, throughparticipation in the secure employment society, everybody would have a sufficientmargin of time in his or her own work mode that would enable him or her tocombine work and family. For that purpose, it was thought that rather than aiming
pointlessly for “a small government,” “an effective and efficient government” should
be realized.
Now, however, without the realization of equal and balanced treatment, the numberof people working in non-regular employment has rapidly increased, exceeding
thirty percent of all employed workers. The social security systems are notfunctioning appropriately. Poverty is expanding and the distribution of wealth has
been distorted, as can be seen in the increase in the number of the working poor.

This situation has become more aggravated even when compared with that of ten
years ago.
The general directionality and the indication of problems shown in the vision of “awelfare-type society centered on work” are not at all out of date even today. On thecontrary, the prescience and validity of this vision are becoming increasingly clear
in the midst of the aggravation of various real difficulties.
Today, as RENGO celebrates its 20th anniversary, we should be proud and confidentof the fact that the RENGO movement upheld this forward-looking vision. While
steadfastly maintaining the basic course of action shown in the vision, it isnecessary, at the same time, to succeed to the image of society that the vision aimed
to realize, and to develop it as a more easily understood and a more systematic
vision on the basis of changes in the situation in the world and in Japan that haveoccurred in the meantime..
The Lehman Shock, which occurred in the fall of 2008, has presented us with animportant opportunity to urge the world as well as Japan to reflect and to raise very
basic questions about “the greedy capitalism” brought about by market
fundamentalist and neo-liberalist policies, as well as about the disparities andpoverty brought about by the social recklessness and absurdity of global financial
capitalism. The tide of the times has changed, and the new tide urges us to reformthe economic policies and social policies of the past that neglected the dignity andvalue of work. “Decent work,” advocated by ILO Director General Mr. Juan Somavia,
is a message delivered to the world against such a background.
Furthermore, the issue of global warming and the energy/resources problem, thedisparities of poverty and wealth between nations and the peace issue cannot be
neglected, since they are issues that threaten the sustainability of the world’s
people.
In the midst of this worldwide tidal transformation, changes in Japan will
accelerate further in the 21st century; the fluidization of politics will proceed and theparadigm change has already begun. It is now imperative for RENGO to display its
independent vision to open up a new social structure by bonding together theinterests of all working people and the interests of all those who wish to work.

Therefore, we wish to enrich the “welfare-type society centered on work” which wehave upheld thus far so that society may become a society full of hope and security
mutually supported by work, namely “a secure society built around work as its core
theme”.

Chapter 2: The structure of “a secure society built around work
as its core theme”“A secure society built around work as its core theme” is a society where the highest
value is given to working and where everyone is given the opportunity to participate
in society through various forms of work and under fair working conditions; a society
where everyone can stand on his or her own feet socially and economically, andwhere everyone’s self‐reliance is mutually supported by other people; and aparticipatory society full of vitality where safety nets are set up in such a way as tomake it possible for everyone to work towards the achievement of self‐realization.
Such a sense of security, where all people are guaranteed the opportunity to work anda place in which they can participate, is definitely at the core of a society which willlead to increasing hopefulness on the part of the people.

1. Why is work a core theme?
We all work in various different ways, and are linked together in various ways as we
cooperate with each other to produce goods and provide services. Even if the work is
performed by an employed person to earn his or her daily bread, the work itself gives
the person an opportunity to achieve self‐realization, provided that it is decent work
based on established rules. The work leads to a life worth living. The best use of theperson’s gifts is to develop his or her abilities through tackling work which contributes
toward a further development of society, and at the same time, makes his or her daily
life more challenging. If, In the meantime, people can establish enriched relationships
in which they recognize each other and are recognized by each other, these
relationships will become great assets for the people involved and the relationships
themselves will also provide them with support.
The fact that people work, earn incomes to enable them to live healthy and cultural

lives, bear tax burdens and make contributions to social insurance constitutes the basis
which supports society. This idea constitutes the centre of our proposal for the society
we aim to realize.
To this end, it is necessary to create mechanisms which enable everyone to work andto link up with each other, regardless of age or sex, no matter whether or not he or she
is handicapped in one way or another. In short, it is a society where participation is
guaranteed. If no one is excluded, and if everyone works in a lively way and is mutually
linked with everyone else with no suffering from unreasonable disparities or poverty,society will become more vital and the economy will gain momentum.
Work does not refer only to employed work. This proposal concentrates on employed
work, but bringing up children, carrying out housework and participating in culturalactivities in everyday life, or tackling such issues as solving problems in the community
and improving the living environment on a voluntary basis, or learning various thingsoutside the workplace are also a part of work and of being linked with one another.
Besides this, people become independent economically and socially “through work”
and can then strengthen their ties or linkages with each other. It is not merely throughthe system but also through the mutual ties between people which support the systemthat people’s security is guaranteed. Social capital means the links between people.
Thus, in various ways “work” becomes a core theme when it is supporting or shaping
the lives of people or the mechanisms of society.

2. Everyone works, and has mutual ties with other people who support
each otherHow should “a secure society built around work as its core theme” be created?
First, everyone should be given an opportunity to work humanely and with pride.
However, although many people desire to be engaged in worthwhile work, the reality
is that various difficulties prevent the vast majority of them from realizing this desire.
Therefore, a “secure bridge” (system and policy or mechanism) must be built toeliminate the difficulties and help people to link up with “work.” The bridge should
allow people to cross freely in both directions, as long as they desire to do so.
There are many young people who are unable to realize long‐cherished dreams due toa lack of knowledge and educational background. Many mothers give up working
because they cannot find a nursery nearby or cannot obtain the understanding of theirworkplaces. There are workers who are forced to give up working because they areunable to receive adequate nursing services for their parents. Many of theunemployed willing to try new jobs are forced to wait their turn for public vocational
training courses due to the insufficient numbers that can be trained at one time. Manyof those with disabilities, and older people who find it difficult to work as they havedone for many years are hoping for working environments where they can work inmore flexible ways, but there are very few workplaces which can make use of theirabilities. Many of them would like to participate more in society, but the opportunities
for such participation are limited.
The society we are aiming for should not be one that encourages those faced with suchdifficulties to retire from the world or to give up through providing them with“benefits” or “protection.” If that were the case, the society would be one which
eliminates opportunities for self‐realization and deprives people of a place to live
together. The society we are aiming for is a society which eliminates the difficulties for
those who find it difficult to “participate,” is inclusive of as many people as possible
and accepts them warmly.
In realizing such a society, it is necessary to reduce educational expenses paid by
individuals, provide opportunities for practical lifelong learning and to improve public
vocational training. It is also essential to improve childcare services both qualitatively
and quantitatively so that every child can acquire basic cognitive abilities and secure
educational opportunities even if he or she is from a family facing great economic
difficulties. Furthermore, the establishment of support systems to connect older
people and the disabled with work is also urgently needed.
At the same time, it is also indispensable to sustain life during a period of participationin education or training by reforming the unemployment insurance system or byproviding and improving the so‐called second safety net to allow vocational training
accompanied by benefits which would link the period between unemployment
insurance and social assistance. In other words, by connecting support‐type public
services with income security, people are linked to work and are helped to stand on
their own feet economically and socially, which will strengthen the ties of the wholesociety and contribute to creating a basis for strong social security and a strong
economy.
Such support‐type public services are provided not only by the public authorities. In
order to promote and expand the participation of people, it is necessary to strengthenthe kind of support that corresponds more closely to the needs of each individual. To
that end, the power of the private sector, called “new public services,” including
non‐profit organizations (NPOs), cooperatives and social businesses, should be utilized.
The “new public services” should not be mobilized in order to realize cheap services. It
is the mission of “new public services” to provide a higher quality of services throughcooperation with the administration while clarifying the roles and responsibilities thatthe administration should perform to provide safe and high quality public services
reliably, efficiently and fairly in accordance with the principles of the Basic Law on
Public Services, while securing adequate working conditions for new actors such as
NPOs.
Government expenditures are naturally needed in order to continue to provide public
services and income security. The expenditures which support people in work, to belinked with each other and to cultivate their abilities, are investments for the future.
Such investments will result in creating a great return, for example, by minimizing thecosts allocated to assistance allowances for the needy. The society we aim to realize isa society where social justice and economic vitality are synergistically developed.
If a worker does not have to work for excessively long hours and works in a morehumane and comfortable way, he or she will have a greater amount of leeway tospend more time with his or her family as well as to enrich his or her life. If, in
cooperation with public services, family care ceases to be an excessive burden, more
people, especially women, will be able to engage in paid work. If time is secured foreverybody to engage in learning regardless of age, and if these opportunities are
expanded, peoples’ abilities will be enhanced and society will be able to find goodwork for them. In this context, securing the participation of people in society will
guarantee not only the self‐realization of individuals but also a society of high quality
and sustainability.

3. Realizing decent work
At the same time that people are tied to employment, the employment should behumane and respectable. There are three conditions essential to that end; 1) incomethat corresponds to the value of the work, 2) establishment of a workplace community
supported by work rules and 3) work‐life balance.
Income that corresponds to the value of the work
Work is a basis for being economically and socially self‐reliant; therefore, an incomethat corresponds to the value of the work should be secured. Cases in which people
fall into the working poor as a result of finding work after receiving various kinds ofsupport should not happen. The impact of the mechanism which has existed thus far,where the concept has centered strongly on male regular workers in tax and in social
security, has kept the level of the minimum wage in Japan as low as that of part‐timeworkers such as housewives and students, who usually work to complement theincome of male regular workers. Therefore, the level of the minimum wage comparedto that of average wages in Japan is lower than in other advanced countries. In view of
the reality that the number of non‐regular workers who are main family breadwinners
is increasing, such a disparity should be corrected as soon as possible.
The old‐fashioned focus on male regular workers should be reformed, the same levelof wage should be paid for the same level in the value of work, inclusive of women andnon‐regular workers, on the basis of a strengthening of the regulation regarding theminimum wage through laws or collective agreements to realize equality and balancein treatments as a whole.
What is also important is to raise disposable income through the tax system and social
security system in linkage with employment. For households with low earned incomes,social allowances such as the children’s allowance, in the place of tax deductions with
benefits, tax exemption for dependents and marital tax deductions, are importantmeans to that end. In this case, it is important that the tax system and social security
system should be neutral when people choose, for example, the type of work they doso that the systems do not restrain employment behavior or favor specific ways ofworking.
The workplace community and the establishment of work rules to support it
In the secure society, where people support each other and which is built around work
as its core theme, should steadfastly maintain the long‐term employment practicewhich has been one of the merits of the Japanese‐type life security thus far,constituting the basis of a secure life. In workplaces where arbitrary dismissals arerampant, it is impossible to realize decent work. It is only in workplaces where work
rules are firmly established, where objective and fair evaluations are made and where
everybody can devote themselves to work which enables them to feel a sense ofaccomplishment, or in workplaces where the principle of equal treatment isestablished on the basis of flexible and diverse ways of work are available for workers,

or in workplaces where competition is not stirred up between workers, but wherecompanions work together to attain goals can innovation arise and productivity
improve.
Decent work is not guaranteed by income alone. It is important that knowledge andability grow through doing work that is challenging and worthwhile, and that work islinked to the development of a person’s career. Building a workplace mechanism
equipped with such conditions will eventually lead to the growth and development ofa business or company. Improving the environment to secure both physical and mental
health is also indispensable. To that end, while succeeding to the positive aspects ofJapanese‐type corporate governance, it is necessary to open manifold channels,
focused on the trade union, which link the voices in the workplace to the management,
to develop various systems of employee representation, and to create a climate inwhich labor and management share ideas together.
In short, workplaces in Japan should still continue to be communities, as they havebeen in the past. These, however, can no longer be closed communities. Many people
may enter workplaces halfway through a year, or the number of people leaving
workplaces for other careers after only a short period may increase. That would be an
open community which vitalizes the coming and going out of people throughsupport‐type public services and income security. It is essential to establish work rules
which make this possible.
Realizing a work‐life balance
When we consider future work rules, one of the important tasks is how to shorten
working hours and how to create conditions which will enable compatibility between
work and family life. Both men and women should be able to concern themselves not
only with the workplace community, but also with the family and the local community.
The effect of the work‐life balance is incalculable in the development of “a securesociety built around work as its core theme.”
If men can also have more time to be active in the life of the family and the community,
coupled with the expansion of childcare and other services, this will prepare an
environment that enables women to work. In effect, the demand for services will bepromoted and employment in the fields of nursing care, childcare and medical care will
increase, which will in itself strengthen the social foundation. The burden of childcare

will not be concentrated on women and equality between men and women will bestrongly promoted in the workplaces, thereby enhancing social sustainability andapplying the brakes to the trend toward declining birthrates.
Moreover, the work‐life balance means the sharing of employment by more people. A
high percentage of regular workers continue to work more than sixty hours a week,
and the number of workers who work less than thirty hours a week are increasing,
especially among non‐regular workers, thus promoting polarization. The solution tosuch a situation will lead to the creation of an environment where more workers canwork more comfortably.
Moreover, in the future, it will become important to take leave of absence from aworkplace to undergo further education or training or for the purposes of family care.
The creation of an environment where paid leave and childcare leave can be acquired
is an urgent task.
There is no contradiction at all between the idea that a new society should be a securesociety built around mutually supported work as its core theme and the idea that awork‐life balance should be sought. It is the work‐life balance that will heighten thequality of employment and make it possible for more people to find employment. It
will also make it possible to realize a society where men and women participate as
equals. The quality of the labor force will then be enhanced and labor productivity
improved, leading to the realization of happiness and a more affluent life. At the sametime, it will lead to the expansion of worthwhile and satisfying work and in its turn toproductivity improvements, which will eventually bring about a virtuous cycle for bothmanagement and workers.

4. Qualitative strengthening of employment and the creation of
employment opportunities
In order to bring “a secure society built around work as its core theme” into existence,
opportunities for decent work have to be expanded. While maintaining andstrengthening our prominent technological and developmental competence, which has
been nurtured by the internationally higher quality of our labor force in the economic
development that has occurred thus far, it is necessary to advance actively on thisbasis toward industrial fields which are expected to grow and create opportunities foremployment. Not only the high‐tech industries, such as the information andtelecommunication industries, but also other various industries, should promote
conversion to employment which generates high value added goods and services.
Industrial human resources qualitatively different from the current ones will therefore
be necessary. It is because we exist in a global market economy that we should expand
production and services supported by high skills and high technology in order toeliminate low cost competition. When “a secure society built around work as its core
theme” enriches positive labor market policies including vocational training, expands
life‐long education and helps the work‐life balance take root, a growth strategy basedon a high quality labor force, i.e. a high road approach, will become possible.
It is also important to create employment opportunities in new fields. In the midst of asituation where it is necessary to apply the brakes on global warming by promoting theconversion to a low‐carbon society, green jobs related to such fields and industries asenvironment‐related technologies, the renewable energy field, improvement of theenergy efficiency of houses and facilities, recycling industries, and the expansion of
public transportation are expected to be the employment areas where new growth will
occur. It is also expected that reduction of CO2 emissions through information andcommunication technologies will create employment opportunities.
Naturally, such green jobs can be developed in Japan by taking advantage of thiscountry’s prominent standing in manufacturing skills and technologies. Therefore,
qualitative improvement of our labor force through education and training in suchfields, and the realization of decent work, will become preconditions for maintaining
this advantage.
Furthermore, it is expected that the number of workers in the welfare and medical
fields will increase enormously in the future. As a matter of fact, the number of theseworkers increased from 4.74 million in 2002 to 6.24 million in 2009, 75% of the theseworkers being women. The form of the family and local community has changed, andthis change has brought about a necessity for the whole of society to take on theburdens of supporting and nurturing life. In response to this necessity, activities
making use of biotechnology, known as life innovation, and information andcommunication technologies have begun to appear in such fields as medical andnursing care.

On the contrary, the construction industry and primary industries such as agriculture,
forestry and fishing, which have in the past supported regional economies, areshowing a statistically shrinking trend. However, new possibilities are also appearing
here. In addition to the repair and maintenance work on existing facilities, strong
needs are becoming evident in the public works field in enhancing environmental
preservation and safety, as seen in energy conservation and the earthquake‐proofing
of buildings. In primary industries such as agriculture and forestry, there are also
examples of expanding employment in the newly created sixth industry throughlinkages with commerce and the manufacturing industries, through the use ofdomestically produced timber, and examples of the revitalization of regions are
increasing.
Moreover, it is necessary to make continuing efforts to constantly enhance Japan’sscientific and technological competence and our development capabilities in order tocultivate and expand the industrial sphere in such fields as materials and commerce.
Whether in conventional or new industries, while bringing out new possibilities forbusinesses and employment opportunities, it is necessary to take initiatives to prepare
public vocational training programs that focus on the fields in which growth isexpected, and at the same time, to ensure that humane and dignified employment iscreated in these fields in terms of wage level and career formation.

5. Seamless security leading to hopefulness“A secure society built around work as its core theme” is a society in which people
have a sense of security that safety nets are so well arranged that everybody is able towork toward his or her own self‐realization. The security referred to here is not apassive security which merely gives assistance when it becomes difficult to continue towork. It is a positive security, the security leading to hopefulness, which enables thedifficulties which prevent people from social participation, such as the lack ofknowledge or skills, the necessity to engage in family care such as childcare andnursing care, and the gap between the workplace environment and physical conditions
to be eliminated and enables people to maintain their links with society.
This security is a seamless security that is present throughout one’s lifetime, andtherefore expands the options available in the lives of people. However, in themechanism existing in our country thus far, the life course has been decided on thebasis of sex or whether or not people are handicapped. Moreover, the life course has
been a single one‐way track which does not provide opportunities to return and dosomething over again. As a matter of fact, the ages when people learn, when people
work and when people become pensioners have all been predetermined.
Under the mechanism of the blanket recruitment of new graduates, young people
have been required to decide the work they will do for their lifetime at a fixed age, forexample, in the case of high school graduates at around eighteen years of age, and in
the case of university graduates at around twenty‐two years of age. Young people notable to find work due to an economic recession at the time of finding employment lose
the chance to be recruited as regular staff, and this failure may result in lifelong
disadvantages. Of course, many young people have discovered their suitability or
unsuitability for a certain kind of work after becoming employed, but it has beendifficult for them to change direction. If it is made possible for young people to renew
their attempt to find the work or the workplace community which will truly bring out
the best in themselves, their sense of accomplishments will be deepened and theirmotivation to work will be enhanced.
Furthermore, there is no reason at all why people have to stop working at the age of
sixty. While there is talk of a lifetime of active service to society, it cannot be said thatthe abilities of older people are being put to full use, on one hand, and on the other
there exists a situation at present where, in particular, the will to work of highly skilled
and knowledgeable people is draining overseas. The working rate of older people inJapan is high, but there are few among them who consider that they are employed insatisfying work. While guaranteeing broader options for and easier access to social
contributions and cultural activities through community activities, NPOs and otheractivities, if older people can make use of the knowledge, skills and experience they
have accumulated through more flexible workplace environments and employment
support, the gloomily‐portrayed image of the aging society will be completely dispelled.
Society will be transformed into a vital society where links with society and hope are
not cut off with aging.
The issue of the declining birthrate is a national crisis. The number of older people isincreasing in inverse proportion to the decrease in the numbers of people in theworking and active generations who are supporting older people, and there is a danger

that society will plunge into an insecure situation where the standard of living willcontinue to decline. It is said that our country became a society with a declining
birthrate from 1997. The birthrate continued to decline, and in 2005 the total
population began to decline for the first time since the Second World War. It has notproved possible to apply the brakes to this declining trend. The tendency to remain
unmarried or to marry late in life is having a marked impact in lowering the birthrate.
At the same time, it is said that childbirth is avoided due to the heavy burden ofchild‐rearing costs and educational expenses. As a result of the increase in the numberof people living on low incomes, child‐rearing costs cannot be secured, and theincrease in the proportion of insecure employment is causing anxieties for the future.
Moreover, there are many cases of dismissal for the reason of taking leave forchildbirth or child rearing. Even if childcare leave can be taken, it is impossible toreturn to the former workplace, or it is difficult to find a nursery school or kindergarten.
There are many reasons behind the declining birthrate trend and it is necessary to takecomprehensive measures. Removing the various obstacles facing women such thathaving children does not lead to an economic burden, provision of free‐of‐charge or
low‐cost nurseries and the creation of environments that do not result in adverse
workplace treatment for people engaged in child rearing are also forms of security thatlead to hopefulness, sustain women’s social participation and at the same time
support social sustainability.

Chapter 3: The base supporting “a secure society built
around work as its core theme”

1.

A government that is effective, decentralized and reliable

In order to consolidate the kind of security which leads to hopefulness, it is indeed
necessary to expand government expenditures. However, looking from theviewpoint of social expenditures and the tax burden rate, present-day Japan has astrikingly smaller government compared with other industrially advanced countries.
Generally speaking, as aging advances, social expenditures increase, but seen fromthe high aging rate of Japan, this country still maintains an exceptionally small
government.
We are not demanding big government for trivial reasons. When we look at our
financial situation, there are difficulties associated with a big government. However,
if we were asked which way we should proceed to change the financial situation forthe better, maintaining an exceptionally small government or aiming for an evensmaller government, our answer would be that neither of these will be effective. It isnecessary to examine the reasons why financial failure has occurred in Japan eventhough this country already has a small government.
The reasons why neither of these methods will be effective are due to inefficientadministrative systems that have been left untouched, on the one hand, and due tothe fact that the inability to satisfy people’s needs to work and participate in society
have led to a loss of vitality in society, on the other. While tax bases are shrinking
and the rate of payment of the social insurance premium is declining, and moreover,financial revenues are insufficient, no effective policies can be taken and, therefore
domestic demand remains depressed to such an extent that is preventing young
people from developing their abilities.
Viewing the experiences of the industrialized Nordic countries, the government
effectively supports people’s work, and in that they are functional governments thathave realized high growth and financial security even though the scale of thegovernment is large. The issue is no longer whether the government is big or small,but whether or not the government is effective and reliable. In order to enhance thereliability of government, democratic politics and administrative systems worthy ofthe sovereignty of the people should be established, and decision-making andimplementation processes should be made transparent in order to realize
accountability.
Furthermore, for “a society built around work as its core theme,” it is essential topromote decentralization to enhance the functions of local governments. This isbecause public services such as childcare, nursing care and training, which promote
the social participation of people, should be designed near the people, gathering
their needs and then provided to the local people. In order to provide good quality
public services, it is necessary for the regional governments to collaborate closelywith NPOs, social businesses and other organizations which have their roots in theregions.
On the other hand, the role and responsibility of the central government should not
be denied in the name of decentralization. As a result of decentralization, if
childcare fees increase and support for the employment of the young diminishes in
the regional governments which lack financial resources, the disparities between
regional governments with weaker economic bases and those with abundantfinancial resources will further expand. That is quite contrary to the spirit ofdecentralization. A minimal target level should be set for public services which
support the people in the regions and for that purpose a financial adjustment
function should be built in for the purpose of promoting decentralization.
We should not forget that it is the robustness of the ties between people (social
capital or socially-related capital) that support effective, decentralization-oriented
and reliable government.
2.

A society with fair burden-sharing

In order to break through the financial crisis and realize an effective government, it
is essential to secure financial sources. We are prepared to accept the burdens basedon the three ideas of “fairness,” “assent” and “solidarity,” if efficient and reliable
government promotes measures which respond to needs. In examining a concrete
program for securing financial sources, the following points should be noted:
Firstly, it is only through being shown the form of a fair society to which everybody
can assent that consensus formation, including a consensus on burdens, can be
moved forward. “A secure society built around work as its core theme” takes theform of a financially sustainable society.

Expenditures for society to promote andenhance people’s active participation in society, their employment and their abilities
are investments for the future and will expand tax bases to sustain finances.
Secondly, in order to arouse confidence in the government, it is necessary to realize
policies and systems which reach the needs of people in essential fields, whileeliminating waste in the government. If people can feel assured that the taxes andinsurance premiums they have paid are serving useful purposes, confidence in thegovernment will increase of itself. A system that will make it easy to see therelationships between revenues and expenditures in social security accounts, childor childcare funds and other funds is also needed. Moreover, the significance ofdecentralization must be emphasized. It is because it is extremely useful forenhancing confidence in the government that the regional governments andassemblies, which are nearer to the people, should decide how to use tax money andexecute policies together with people. With the introduction of a “common
identification number system for tax and social security,” it is also essential to
improve the transparency of taxation in efforts to arouse confidence.
Thirdly, while advancing discussions about the nature of fair burdens, a fair andeasily-understood tax system, which shows a balance between assets, income andconsumption, should be realized. When such a balance is considered, it is essential
to strengthen the redistribution function of taxation. At the same time, it is also
important to reorganize the various kinds of tax deductions and other deductions
which have been introduced thus far on the premise of a single-income family, andto switch to a tax system that is suitable for a situation where both men and women
work.
3.

Corporate social responsibility
labor-management relationship

(CSR)

and

a

sound

The market economy is an important and essential tool for “a secure society built
around work as its core theme.” It brings wealth to people and the country bybringing about high value added through the activities of enterprises. It is in thetrue nature of enterprises to seek to maximize profits, but this should not betransformed into their sole goal. Enterprises must fulfill grave responsibilities inbearing the burden of the development of society and the regional communities inwhich they locate their activity bases. Not only should CSR compliance beestablished but also social fairness, social ethics, contributions to regional
communities, consideration for the environment and other social considerations
should be accepted and incorporated into the daily activities of enterprises. It goes
without saying that the three principles concerning productivity should bereconfirmed so that proper distribution can be carried out. Corporate social
responsibility should not be a means for gaining profits. Moreover, while theenterprise activities are undergoing globalization, their activities toward theobservance of basic human rights, environmental preservation, and sustainability
in any particular country are required far more than in the past.
Enterprises bear responsibility for the maintenance and expansion of employment
and decent work. In addition, a sound labor and management relationship, whichmakes “maintenance and expansion of employment,” “labor and management
cooperation and consultation” and “the fair distribution of rewards” possible isessential infrastructure for both the construction of a democratic society and asustainable economic society. A labor market where trade unions do not function
will run out of control. In that sense, the responsibilities of enterprises,managements and trade unions, which should play the role of a check on enterprise
activities, are grave.
4.

Global environmental preservation and the creation of green
jobs as preconditions for sustainability

A society can exist only when the global environment is sustainable. It is the duty of mankind
to preserve the global environment, and there is a strong need to switch to a low‐carbon
society in order to control emissions of greenhouse gases.
A switch to a low‐carbon society and the preservation of the natural environment are not incontradiction with economic growth. It is necessary to switch to a balanced energy
composition while considering the benefits that accrue from the costs.
Fortunately, Japan’s environmental and energy-saving technologies lead the world
in several aspects. We now have a rare opportunity to make use of these excellent
technologies, knowledge and human resources. We should make efforts to link thesewith the nurturing of industries and the creation of employment opportunities.

It will be important to improve energy efficiency throughout the whole of society insuch fields as facilities, housing, transportation and agriculture. There is a great
potential for the expansion of business fields related to the improvement of energy
efficiency. As pointed out in the report of the United Nations Environmental
Program (UNEP) and in the 2008 Report of the International Labor Organization(ILO) on “green jobs,” the switch to a low-carbon society and the preservation of thenatural environment to secure sustainability of the global environment have thepotential to generate a massive number of “green jobs” which will take on therelevant undertakings in every field.
Furthermore, it is sometimes pointed out that many green jobs are accessible
through short- to medium-term training, and that most of them do not easilytransfer overseas. While making use of economic methods such as incentive-type
public assistance, including the tax system, we should stimulate the creation ofundertakings

towardalow-carbon

society,

and

while

strengthening

thecompetitiveness that Japan has, we should clarify rules that ensure that the green
jobs created will become decent work. Furthermore, we should open the way togreen jobs in public vocational training and in other ways.

Chapter 4: The role and responsibilities required of the
trade union movement
1. The role required of the trade union movement as a focal pointof the social movement“A secure society built around work as its core theme” is a society where basic
human rights are respected and decent work is guaranteed. For that purpose, it isessential

that

the

collective

labor-management

relationshipisimplanted

throughout the whole of society, which agrees that it will function as an
indispensable infrastructure for building and maintaining a sound society.
Collective agreements concluded by labor and management also have an influence
on unorganized workers. It is necessary that the trade union movement continues tosecure the strength to influence the whole labor market in a robust manner.
RENGO will steadfastly maintain the following ideas and will make every effort torealize them.
First of all, in order to protect the dignity of work, it is the basic role of the tradeunion movement, first and foremost, to secure appropriate working conditions,including wage and working hours, as the most important security of life, and toestablish these standards as social working standards, that is to say, to form thesocial standards which have major consequences. It is the duty of trade unions andthe trade union movement, of course, to make efforts to set work rules, determine
minimum wages and realize the work-life balance. It is also its primary duty tocarry out the function of settling labor disputes, making the best use of the labor
commission or the labor tribunal system, in which citizen judges participate.
Moreover, the trade union movement, being the organization that bears the load ofpolicy determination for the working people, has heightened their influence and has
promoted social dialogue in order to be actively involved in national consensus
formation. Furthermore, as seen in the establishment of fair labor standards, thetrade union movement has also been actively involved in forming the international
order related to work in solidarity with the international trade union movement.
These roles of the trade union movement are extremely important in realizing “asecure society built around work as its core theme.”
The trade union movement is not merely presenting a new social vision and callingfor its realization, but also bears the responsibility for its realization in practice.
Japanese trade unions have thus far struggled hard to protect and promote thewages and working conditions of working people. However, it cannot be denied thatthe framework within which working people show their solidarity in being united
has tended to be limited to male regular workers or trade union members inside
enterprises. The time has now come, however, when even the interests of themembership itself cannot be protected, however hard the trade unions try to secure
the interests of the membership (trade union members), in a self-sufficient manner;that is to say, however hard they try to protect the interests of their members forthemselves only.
It is necessary to further deepen the trade union movement, which “stands againstsocial irrationality” and “makes it possible for all working people to unite”, as
proposed in the “Final Report of the RENGO Evaluation Committee,” and to makeefforts to realize such a movement for all working people.
In order to realize “a secure society built around work as its core theme”, the tradeunion movement has to bear the central role of national consensus formation andthe role of coordinator for extensive network formation. While promoting dialogue
not only with workers’ welfare business organizations and employers’ organizations
but also with the broader citizenry, it is necessary to develop a vision and to own it
jointly as a national or regional vision.
It is then necessary that the trade union movement builds a broad solidarity anddemonstrates its role as the focus of the social movement in order to realize policies
in cooperation with various bodies, organizations or networks which own jointly
common purposes.
Women’s and young people’s participation is essential for vitalizing the trade union
movement. The trade union movement has to tackle, as a matter of urgency, suchactivities as promoting participation and preparation for urging participation.
The activities carried out with a focus on securing social participation are activities
that bind the ties of people to each other. The trade union movement is destined toplay a part in reviving these ties.
It should not be forgotten that it is only through the independent and voluntary
participation of each worker and his or her actions that the power of the trade union
movement can demonstrate its true worth.

2. A trade union movement visible in the regions
In order to solve the problems of living and those related to employment confronting
people who work and lead their lives in the regions, it has been necessary to build atrade union movement that is visible in the regions. For the last several years,
RENGO has aimed at strengthening the structure of regional councils and theirfunctions as bases to bear such regional activities.
At the regional level, the regional trade union councils have built up activities forrealizing policies promoted by RENGO headquarters or RENGO’s prefectural level
organizations. They have, at the same time, promoted the organization of workers
without distinction between regular workers and non-regular workers. They havealso provided labor advice services, made efforts to solve labor disputes and haveextended support to trade unions in the regions.

In addition to these activities, the trade union movement in the regions is expected
to provide employment support, including vocational training and employment
placement, and to undertake the coordination or mediation of support work such as
counseling for the purpose of connecting people to employment. While showing
initiatives in creating employment opportunities and in forming local communities,
the trade unions in the regions also play such roles as support for various
employment creation programs and employment creation efforts by NPOs and otherorganizations.
In “the new public sphere,” various organizations, including the administration,
volunteer organizations, NPOs and workers welfare programs should be organicallyorganized in order to provide services suitable for the needs of the people in theregions.

The trade union movement in the region should be its focal point. It isnecessary for the trade union movement in the regions to further strengthen
cooperation with worker-managed welfare works such as legal advice services,
advice services for multiple debt problems, nursing care and childcare, advice onmunicipal administration in general and life support services. While building
networks with NPOs, volunteer organizations and other organizations, it isnecessary to enrich the functions of advice services for people. Moreover, the tradeunion movement in the regions can also be a base for retired people and canfunction as a place to link these people with daily life advice services, andcommunity and cultural activities. Thus, the expectations for the role of regional
trade union councils, which stand nearest to the members and the people in theregions, are increasingly strong and their functions should be further reinforced.
Only through such initiatives will it be possible to create “the new public sphere.”
The role and significance of the trade union movement in the regions is great.

3. Succession to and development of the values which the tradeunion movement has carefully preserved and the raising of thenext generation
Labor is not a commodity. For the working people, trade unions are their first andclosest safety net and a basic and indispensable social tool aiding them to be
independent and to support each other. It is the role of trade union’s daily activities

in the workplaces and in the regions to rework frayed social ties. Such ties
(linkages) will make the full independence of individuals possible. Trade unions andthe trade union movement have thus far played the role of linking workers together
inside and outside workplaces. Over many years in the past, they have improved
workplace environments and living conditions, answered the will and the desire ofcountless people to work, and have become the basis for various social movements.
The sense of values and the spiritual climate of what may be called the “laborculture” in Japan, which has been cultivated through these movements andactivities, must be carefully preserved, and we must strengthen it and succeed to it
in the future as an important infrastructure for the sound development of society.
In “a secure society built around work as its core theme,” value is set not on
indifference to working people nor on heartlessness toward them, but on the way oflife or the lifestyle which regards mutual supporting in work situations asimportant. While being incorporated into the structure of society, the trade union
movement must be involved in various decision-making processes. A spiritual
culture must be fermented that expresses anger at social irrationality and gives rise
to concrete actions to correct it in solidarity and in unity.
The source of the power of trade unions exists in each member, and it can be said
that it is the power of action based on the empathy which exists in the hearts ofmany working colleagues.
In order to cultivate the soil for this empathy, it is necessary to start by introducing
and implementing labor education from primary education through to higher
education. Education to develop an outlook toward work or ideas about work,
education on worker’s rights and learning about work rules should be installed in
the curricula in junior high schools and high schools. It is also necessary to giveworking adults opportunities for labor education. Such education would be aneffective antidote to problems such as the increase of dropouts from higher
education and the tendency of young people to leave their jobs prematurely.
On the other hand, knowledge about work rules and compliance with work rules are
essential for those who are in management or in managerial positions. Whileranking them as essential component elements for management know-how oressential knowledge for management, the consideration of setting up qualification

requirements in training systems and when starting businesses is thought to beappropriate.
The social establishment of a system to raise the future bearers of the trade union
movement is also a matter of urgency. The system for developing management
personnel has a socially recognized existence, but the system to raise its
counterpart, trade union leaders or bearers of the trade union movement, has not
yet been developed. Not only on-the-job training but also a full comprehensive
education or training system should be established. Educational curricula toprovide knowledge, know-how and other abilities to be acquired as future bearers of
the trade union movement or social movement are needed together with
opportunities for comprehensive professional education. The trade union movement
should also urgently examine the building of third sector-type research andeducational bases, besides workers welfare businesses and cooperatives.

4. Necessity for a trade union movement linked to the world
It would be impossible for Japan to turn her back on the world and enjoy security
leading to hopefulness inside Japan alone. In the midst of globalization, theproblems which the governments and trade union movements all over the world are
confronted with are becoming more closely interconnected. Only in coexistence withthe world, especially with Asia, can “a secure society built around work as its core
theme” be developed.
The international trade union movement has an important duty to accomplish,
through mutual understanding and solidarity, the decent work which would satisfy
core labor standards in any country, a fair distribution of resources, and an
alleviation of tension and the realization of peace between nations. Among others,
the elimination of poverty leads to the maintenance of peace or its recovery.
The trade union movement in our country should display its initiative, especially in
Asia, for the development of sound democracy, the elimination of poverty, and forsocial and economic development. Especially in the midst of globalization, in whichhuman beings, goods and money move freely around the world, international
solidarity is indeed important.

The international trade union movement should be borne not only by national tradeunion centers. Corporate activities and operations are globalized, and if we worry
too much only about problems inside the country, it will no longer be possible tosolve the domestic problems themselves. This is also true of the Japanese tradeunion movement. Our international trade union movement should be promoted
along with the participation and cooperation of both RENGO and its affiliates andunit unions.
Meanwhile, looking inside our country, we have foreign workers issues which arereferred to as inner international issues. Japan restricts immigration, and eventhough foreign workers are accepted in special cases, the system for Japanese
language training for such people is not satisfactory, and their weak position meansthat they will be dismissed first when the economic situation deteriorates. A tradeunion movement for all working people should tackle the problems which foreign
workers face as the problems of colleagues who are working together in Japan.
In “a society built around work as its core theme,” an isolated island of “foreign
workers” should not be created. The realization of an inner international solidarity
as one of its efforts for realizing a fair society without poverty by thoroughpromotion of the principle of equal pay for equal work is strongly required of theJapanese trade union movement.
end