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.