Declaration of the Regular Convention of Doro-Chiba

September 29, 2014

We are proud of telling you that Doro-Chiba has established a fresh policy for the coming hard days through examining the whole developments of its struggle for the last one year and unanimously adopted it on its 43rd Annual Convention.

A new and significant dimension has been achieved though one year’s struggle. Over the case of unjustly fired 1,047 national railway workers at the time of the Division and Privatization of Japan Railway, the Tokyo High Court (chief of the judges is Nanba) ruled on September 25, 2013 that the dismissal of these workers was unfair labor practice because it was carried out according to a discriminatory employment list, which had been prepared by the management of the former National Railways and the new JR Companies. This ruling has given us an effective weapon to fight back prevailing union busting committed after the “National-Railway Privatization model” which has been making concessions and setbacks of Japanese labor union movement at large since the Division and Privatization of National Railways in 1987. It is urgent to develop energetically 100,000 signature collecting campaign for the national railway struggle and achieve the victory in the Supreme Court. Let’s develop the National Campaign of National Railway Struggle!

The success of May 2nd strike of Doro-Chiba against outsourcing has brought us three new union members from the workplace of Chiba Train Service (CTS), sub-contractor of JR-East. Doro-Chiba waged the strike with a slogan: “Outsourcing destroys rail safety. In the current system of JR, serious railway accidents are inevitable. The first to hit by rail accident are workers of CTS. Defend the lives of colleagues of CTS”. This contributed to break down the wall between the workers of JR and the workers of CTS. All through this strike in May, we have once again realized that rail safety constitutes the Achilles’s Heel of outsourcing and that the organizationally-united power of JR and CTS workers is the most powerful weapon to crush outsourcing. 15 years’ struggle against outsourcing of JR capital has significantly proved that labor union can confront and defeat neo-liberalism.

On October 1, we are going to make a new step by waging strike against outsourcing. Recently in our workplaces, there are numerous industrial accidents, resulting from forced outsourcing: a colleague in Makuhari Depot lost one fifth finger and another fellow worker in Choshi station scarcely escaped from being run over by a train during his repair work under the train floor. CTS management is betraying its promise of “guarantee of employment for elderly workers” in actual practice. We shall never allow destruction of safety and job by outsourcing. Desperately needed demand for workers is not outsourcing but prolongation of retiring age.
The planned strike on October 1st is to fight back the policy of the Abe administration of whole-sale privatization and casualization. We call on all of you to rise up together for the strike!

The recent developments have proved the bankruptcy of the JR (Japan Railway Companies) system, brought forth by the Division and Privatization of Japan National Railways. We are witnessing a rapid and drastic change of the whole situation around JR. Catastrophic collapse of rail safety, breakdown of management, impending mandatory age-limit retirement of JR workers in mass scale, failure of overseas advance and development strategy are thrusting JR Companies into the hell. The company management, however, is intent to turn the difficult situation created by the mass mandatory retirement into an opportunity to sweep away militant labor movement which used to be represented by Kokuro (National Railway Workers Union), till its last remnant. In face of this desperate capitalist offensive, all traditional labor unions are surrendering in a miserable way. Our fresh policy decided by the Regular Convention is to confront JR attack squarely and demand extension of retirement age, secured job and amelioration of working conditions, in which workers can work till 65 years old*.
*When the Japanese government revised the Employees’ Pension Insurance Act in 1994 and decided to raise the pensionable age from 60 to 65 against huge resistance of workers, it pledged in return to recommend employers to raise retirement age or rehire their retirees in some form or another in order to avoid leaving retirees without income.

The Abe administration has forced a cabinet decision that admits to exercise the right to collective self-defense, trampling the Constitution. We stand at a grave turning point of history. Conversion into a state capable of war is attempted. The reactionary political drive for war has been blocked for a long time by the fierce struggle of labor movement.
The labor movement was, however, forced to experience a bitter setback by the Division and Privatization of National Railways. About 30 years after that, the government is now attempting to start a new pre-war period. The road to war should be blocked by every means. We are determined to stop war for our life.

The profound catastrophe caused by the global economic crisis is dangerously provoking war in Iraq, Syria, Palestine and Ukraine. A total collapse of “Abenomics” has begun. The government is destroying workers’ unity and solidarity, driving workers into a race to the bottom and depriving them of the right to their existence. Furthermore, the ruling class intends to wage war for the survival of its own regime.

Even though in Fukushima unprecedented crisis has been deepening, the government of Abe still insists shamelessly that the whole situation is completely under control and there is nothing to worry about. It is a downright lie. The government is attempting to restart the nuclear power plants abandoning people of Fukushima.

In Sanrizuka (Narita) and Okinawa, anger of workers and farmers is exploding against outrageous assaults by the government. Indignation against unbearable present situation is raging in the whole world in widespread general strikes and demonstrations. It is high time we should take back militant labor movement. We will accomplish the change of labor movement.

Let’s organize workers for a more powerful labor union by gathering all members’ efforts!
Let’s expand the Confederation of Motive Power Unions across Japan!
Let’s strengthen the workers’ international solidarity struggle!
Let’s overthrow reactionary Abe administration by gathering all angry voices!
Let’s organize ten thousands people for November 2 National Workers’ All-out Rally!

 

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

DORO-CHIBA