(Union News "Nikkan DORO CHIBA" No.5735)(Japanes)

Resolution In Support Of the Fired Japanese Railway Workers and
In Defense of Japanese Arrested Railway Workers

WHEREAS, thousands of workers were fired during the privatization of Japan Rail in 1987 and,

WHEREAS, 1,047 members of DORO CHIBA, KOKURO, and ZENDORO railway unions were not rehired when the state-run Japanese National Railways (JNR) was broken up during this privatization and,

WHEREAS, according to the (ILO) Executive Council in it's 5th recommendation, these unionists were discriminated against because of their union's opposition to the breakup and privatization of (JNR) and,

WHEREAS, this discriminatory firing and privatization has led to the suicide of over 100 workers and these workers continue their 16 year fight for their jobs back with the JR companies and,

WHEREAS, these attacks breach the provisions of ILO Convention 87, of which Japan is a ratifying member, and which states:

"Workers' and employers' organizations shall have the right to draw up their constitutions and rules, to elect their representatives in full freedom, to organize their administration and activities and to formulate their programs. The public authorities shall refrain from any interference which would restrict this right or impede the lawful exercise thereof (article 3). In this Convention the term organization means any organization of workers or of employers for furthering and defending the interests of workers or of employers (article 10)." and,

WHEREAS, this unfair labor practice and privatization's in both Japan and the U.S. are a threat to all of organized labor as well as all defenders of human rights and,

WHEREAS, we protest the Japanese government's repression against fired railway workers and their arrests for continuing the battle to win their jobs back,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the San Francisco Labor Council will support the struggle of the fired Japanese JR railway workers to be reinstated and will seek a meeting with the Japanese Consulate in San Francisco to raise our concerns and will send a letter to Prime Minister Koizumi of Japan, and finally,

This Labor Council will seek concurrence in this resolution of solidarity by all other
affiliated organizations including the California Labor Federation and the national AFL-CIO.

Adopted by the San Francisco Labor Council on July 14, 2003.

Respectfully Submitted,

Walter L. Johnson
Secretary-Treasurer

DORO-CHIBA