The 13th All Branch Activist
School - Discussing 2005-2007 Struggle
(Report 1)
2005 STRUGGLE WILL BE HISTORIC WATERSHED SINCE
1945
Doro-Chiba railway union had its 13th All Branch Activist School from
30th to 31st January in Nasu-Shiobara. Here we print the outline of
a speech at the first day: "Labour Movement During the War"
given by Hiroshi NAKANO, Doro-Chiba's regular adviser.
GRASPING THE SITUATION IN 2005
First of all, what is the year 2005? It has been 60 years since the
Atomic bombs' releases and Japan's defeat, 60 years since the enactment
of Labour Union Act, and 50 years since the formation of the ruling
Liberal Democratic Party. And the year 2007 is the 70th anniversary
of promulgation of the Constitution and the 60th anniversaries of Fundamental
Law on Education and Labour Standards Law. But now, politicians and
big business have prepared concrete schedule to "amend" the
Constitution in order to change all post-war social system and ideas
like three principals of "sovereign power lying with the people",
"abandonment of wars" and "fundamental human rights"
all written in the present Constitution which has been the base of post-war
"peace and democracy". Their target is not just the Constitution,
but Fundamental Law on Education, Labour Standards Law and Local Autonomy
Law as well. The beginning of this attack was "closing of post-war
politics" attack in 1980's which began with division and privatization
of state-run Japan National Railway. They have kept targeting trade
unions and tried to destroy the unity of workers.
"Structure reformation without sanctuary" and "Okuda
Vision" produced by Koizumi-Okuda line (PM Junichiro Koizumi and
president of big business Hiroshi OKUDA), and the 2005 Report of Management
Labour Committee produced by Japan Business Federation clearly show
their idea to change the system of Japan. They have abolished lots of
regulations, disorganized Labour related acts and social security which
resulted destruction of wages, destruction of employment and destruction
of lives themselves. They are willing to announce their tentative this
year in order to deteriorate Fundamental Law on Education and the Constitution.
The present Far East Security is to become World Security through dispatch
of Japan's Self Defence Force to Iraq and formation of US-Japan axis.
And it is the fundamental crisis of capitalism - economic and financial
ones - that have driven them to wage these attacks.
CHARACTERISTICS OF RE-ELECTED BUSH ADMINISTRATION
The development of Japan has been under influence of international
situation and the aggressive war on Iraq. Characteristic of re-elected
Bush government is especially important and decisive. Bush said "freedom
or oppression" in his inaugural address and declared his determination.
In the midst of quagmire of Iraq after the attack on Fallujah, it is
exercised as 15,000-troop dispatch to Tsunami suffering areas that the
Transformation of US world strategy aims at North Africa, Middle East
and Far East through formation of US-UK-Japan axis.
The back ground of this is a new division of the world, emerging new
blocs, and commencement of Depression course which are shown in the
growing "Twin Deficit" (trade deficit and financial deficit)
of the US, massive Dollar drop, the launch of enhanced European Union
and etc. The gap between the rich and the poor has grown and the working
class is suffering storm like war and privatization attacks.
WE HAVE GAINED FOOTHOLD IN 2004 TO FIGHT BACK
AGAINST WAR & PRIVATIZATION
But now, international workers' movement has started to regain its
power in US, South Korea and Europe. In Japan, Workers' Rally on 7 November
2004 won a big success as international solidarity meeting together
with ILWU Local 10 which was the back bone of Million Worker March and
KCTU Seoul Regional Council. Teachers of Tokyo Metropolitan High School
Teachers' Union who are fighting against Hinomaru & Kimigayo (Rising
Sun flag and Emperor's song) and many more workers assembled from all
over Japan. Fighting workers and unions have been isolated since the
disbandment of Sohyo (General Council of Trade Union of Japan) and formation
of Rengo (Japan Trade Union Confederation), right wing trade union national
centre, but workers have finally built up unity among activists and
grasped the perspective to fight back against "the country that
wages war". War and privatization can prevail only when workers
lose their unity. What we built in the struggle of 2004 was the basis
of the unity. This is a big foothold for the coming struggle.
KEYWORDS OF 2005 STRUGGLE: LABOUR UNION, EDUCATION
AND MEDIA
@Battle fields in 2005 are labour unions, education and media.
They are decisive and the loss of these can be fatal. Fundamental Law
on Education and the Constitution are like two sides of the same coin.
The rulers cannot wage war without changing education. They talk about
devastation of schools and declining of achievement ability, but their
real aim is to make youngsters to devote themselves for the state and
businesses. Amendment of Fundamental Law on Education is a direct step
forward to the corruption of the Constitution. "No to Hinomaru
and Kimigayo, Not-standing-up struggle" in March and April (the
end and beginning of academic year) has a big potentiality in this very
sense. Teachers have to protect "Never send our students to the
war field again" charter which has been irreplaceable slogan of
Nikkyoso (Japan Teachers' Union). As to media, it is the fight against
pre-war type censorship on mass media. Situation is quite serious and
the news nowadays looks alike the news from the "Imperial Headquarters"
during war time. The aim of PM Koizumi's "Honebuto (large-boned)
Reformation IV" is to destroy Nikkyoso, Jichiro (All Japan Prefectural
and Municipal Workers' Union) and JPU (Japan Postal Workers' Union).
If we lose the fight against Management Labour Committee's 2005 Report
which demands "restructuring offensive", we will lose our
future. Fight back against Honebuto Reformation IV! Organize for anti-war
demo on 20 March! Workers' fight in this spring will be decisive for
future of Japan. Let's build up the Spring Labour Offensive 2005 through
the unity of working class people to fight against war and privatization!
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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