Dear Brothers and Sisters of Namibia Mine Workers Union Rossing Branch,
We send you a heartfelt greeting of solidarity from Japan beyond ocean to your tenacious struggle and express our fierce denunciation of the outrageous attack of China National Uranium Corporation Limited (CNUC) on your union by firing 9 leaders with an aim of destroying Namibia Mine Workers Union (NMWU) Rossing Branch.
Our union, National Railway Motive Power Union of Chiba (Doro-Chiba), organizes train drivers, inspection and repair workers, cleaning workers of railway in Chiba, an adjoining prefecture to metropolis Tokyo. We were the only railway union that confronted with repeated strikes against the stormy attack to destroy labor union by means of the Division and Privatization of the National Railway in 1987 and have succeeded to maintain and develop union solidarity during these 34 years in face of miserable bankruptcy of privatized railway. Our underlying aim is to revive class struggle labor movement to bring about fundamental change of Japanese labor movement.
The violent infringement of union contract, shameless attempt of bribing and unjust and irremissible dismissal of 9 leaders by CNUC－all these are nothing but desperate attempts of destroying your fighting union. We are deeply moved and inspired to know that you have resolutely launched to fight back this assault with angry union members of Rossing branch.
In Asia where we live, situation is developing drastically: in Hongkong the struggle for liberation is explosive; in Taiwan, dismantling of social security system is provoking strong opposition; in Thailand, the royal domination is finally challenged; in Myanmar, military coup d’etat is met with workers’ and people’s anger. In imperialist and capitalist countries, BLM (Black Lives Matter) movement has opened up a permanent wave of revolts.
In Japan, the Suga administration is rushing into an all-out assault of starvation wage, mass dismissal, privatization and outsourcing, taking advantage of COVID-19. Propagating that nothing serious happened in Fukushima, the government is planning to restart nuclear power plant together with an attempt of letting contaminated water into the ocean. The final choice of the Japanese ruling class is to plunge into war of aggression, a repetition of the World War II that brought about a massacre of 20 million people by warfare and starvation.
We firmly believe that the only way to achieve a class unity as working class for the self-emancipation is to strengthen union power based on workplace unity in launching struggle, in any country.
Now labor union is at stake. The brave struggle of your NMWU Rossing Branch is enormously encouraging us all, workers and labor unions in the whole world. We, Doro-Chiba, are determined to go forward arm in arm with you.
Reinstate NMWU Rossing Branch leadership NOW!
Stop union busting by CNUC!
February 8, 2021
International Labor Solidarity Committee of Doro-Chiba
