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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