Rengo's New Strategic Guidelines

At its September 13 central executive board meeting, the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) confirmed its new strategic guidelines for its regular general conference, scheduled on October 4-5.

The guidelines stress that the primary task of labor unions lies in ensuring social equity in the context of a market economy. It also stated that it will seek to offer a counterbalance to prevailing notions regarding market omnipotence and establish a labor-based welfare society built on impartial employment rules and safety nets that guarantee lifestyle security.

Furthermore, the guideline also recommended that 20% of Rengo's operating budget be allocated to addressing increases in the number of part-time and atypical workers and the delay by labor organizations to extend their organizational umbrella to include such workers. Rengo will also establish an organizational center for helping extend labor organizations into areas outside the major cities and form an action plan for enhancing the abilities of Rengo Organizers.

The future of corporate labor organizations rests upon their ability to overcome their inherent weakness-labor organizations mostly represent full-time workers only-and create a powerful organization while extending outwards their organizational scope.