Declaration of Doro-Chiba's Central Committee
February 18, 2007


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(Net News "DORO CHIBA" No.106,)(Japanes)

Declaration of Doro-Chiba's Central Committee
February 18, 2007
The 56th Regular Session of Doro-Chiba Central Committee

Now on the eve of the Spring Labor Offensive of 2007, our battle has already begun to heat up. On the occasion of the periodical revision of the train timetable on March 18, the JR East Company plans to abolish Tateyama Drivers Depot and Kisarazu Branch Depot. The aim of the company is to destroy those Doro-Chiba's bastions and to get rid of several local lines. We have been fighting back against the attempted destruction of the two depots with all strength of our union, cooperating with local communities.
Twenty years since the enforcement of the division and privatization of the Japan National Railways, we are faced with a new phase of "the second stage of the division of privatization"[JR version of Koizumi administration's "structural reform without sanctuary" started on the turn of the century]: a large-scale reorganization of yards and depots, full outsourcing of station operations, sweeping transformation of railway operation (essentially driving operation) and proposed plan of so-called "Life Cycle Plan"-i.e. arbitrary and repeated transfer of drivers to stations-and so on. A critical moment is approaching when the JR will face an overall explosion of contradictions that have been accumulated during two decades: Total collapse of rail safety as was exposed by the Amagasaki and Uetsu accidents; unstable daily railway operations caused by serious personnel shortage as a result of enforcement of a large-scale retirement. In the meantime, JR Soren (JRU), which had long supported the anti-workers policy of JR management, has been exposed to be an astonishingly corrupt union and has gone into organizational split. Collaboration and collusion system of the JR management and JRU is now drastically breaking down. Japan Railway is going to be violently shaken up. After all, however, all burdens are shifted on workers and rail safety. The primary aim of the JR management focuses upon the abolition of Tateyama Drivers Depot and Kisarazu Branch Depot, which are the stronghold of Doro-Chiba. They are determined to destroy Doro-Chiba. Our bastions of union unity should never be abandoned or defeated. We have defended these bastions during years of stormy attacks and we will resolutely fight back any attempt of union busting. Let's rise up for an all-out struggle in February and March with its culmination on March 18!
Spring Labor Offensive 2007 will be fought in the turning point of history against the revision of the constitution and demolition of the Labor Standard Law and basic labor rights
The Abe administration and Nippon Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) headed by Mitarai (CEO of Canon Inc.), intend to integrate workers into a war mobilization system through preemptive assault on possible workers' revolt. Abe has recently revised the Fundamental Law on Education in the Diet to enforce patriotism in schools and passed a bill to grade up the Defense Agency to Defense Ministry. He openly declares that he will initiate the revision of Article 9 of the Constitution. Together with the prime minister, the head of Nippon Keidanren is also stirring up patriotism and promoting constitutional revision in his "Mitarai Vision"-Nippon Keidanren's report officially published on New Year's Day-and "Position Paper 2007 on Management and Labor Policy"(Report of Committee on Management and Labor Policy). Mitarai has also proclaimed "Big Bang of Labor Force" (Labor Market Reform Program) that urges further privatization and deregularization and enforces the law of the jungles throughout the whole society. On this ordinary session of the Diet, Abe administration is going to bring up important bills including the National Referendum Bill for Constitutional Revision, a bill for introduction of so called "white collar exemptions" and a bill for introduction of crime of conspiracy. In order to enforce these attempts, especially the constitutional revision, the ruling class needs to eliminate organized labor. Let us win a victory in this life and death battle and achieve revival of labor movement.
In this decade, the rich-poor gap has been widening in a staggering rate; number of the working poor has been sharply increased. On the other hand, the JR, Toyota and other big businesses enjoy "the longest economic expansion surpassing the 'Izanagi boom' (from 1965 to 1970)." Their profits are now record-high; casualization of a large number of workers, wage cut, and "downsizing"-i.e. massive unemployment-are the sources of their huge profits. Such social system must be overthrown. Angry voices are now heard in every corner of Japanese society and everywhere in the world. On March 18, forth anniversary of invasion of Iraq, huge anti-war rallies are going to be held once again around the world. Let us create a massive workers revolt and make the year 2007 a turning point of overturning current power relationship between capital and labor.
We decided with firm determination to fight Spring Labor Offensive 2007, focusing on the struggle against the abolition of Tateyama Drivers Depot and Kisarazu Branch Depot and the struggle against rationalization and for rail safety. We have decided to set up organizational preparation for strikes, which will culminate on March 18, the date of planned revision of the train timetable. We feel it our duty, by means of strikes, to inform the public on the state of catastrophic rail safety caused by unreasonable abolition of depots, outsourcing of station operations, frequent fracture of rails, numerous troubles as a result of introduction of new types of cars, constant shortage of personnel in JR Freight Company and so on. Extension of retirement age is also our vital demand, since the pension age has been risen. The central committee meeting also decided to fully support and promote a campaign for the election of Katsuura City Council, to which we put up our candidate, brother Mizuno.
The struggle for reinstatement of the 1047 dismissed railway workers is now in serious crisis. The mistake committed on the occasion of the "Four Party Agreement" must not be repeated. Sticking to principles of labor movement and defeating corrupt labor leadership, we must represent and spearhead struggles of rank and file and mobilize all of the angry voices on shop floor. Let us win a victory in the 1047 workers' struggle and regenerate the National Railway labor movement.
The time is coming when Doro-Chiba's struggle easily gets to every worker's heart. This has been clearly demonstrated in the recent progress of solidarity between Korean, American and Japanese workers. Let's build up a larger and stronger union organization through gaining numerous young railway workers as union membership. Let's tell them how great it is to fight in labor unity and how we together could shape our bright future through starting revolt on the workshop.
Let us launch an all out struggle and regenerate the fighting Spring Labor Offensive!
Victory in the Spring Labor Offensive!

DORO-CHIBA (DC): National Railway Motive Power Union of CHIBA
Email: doro-chiba@doro-chiba.org
Web: https://doro-chiba.org/

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