1.Reviving the economy and strengthening the development base of the manufacturing industry
industry
Developing activities directed toward strengthening the development base of the manufacturing industry and the real reactivation of Japan's economy and society
Finding the path toward full-fledged economic reactivation is Japan’s most important issue. It is vital that we work to sustain and strengthen the manufacturing industrial base while seeking solutions to policy and systemic issues by looking at future social changes. We are therefore working to further strengthen efforts in the following areas.
①Immediate escape from the danger of deflationary spiral and the achievement of stable growth.
②Implementation of efforts to overcome agendas of institutional and industrial policies to find solutions for structural agendas.
●Labor and industrial policies
Employment policy is an important subject which should be tackled throughout the year and correspondence on many sides is needed. For the present, we will continue our push in these three major areas:
a. Drastically expand unemployment insurance
b. Open Community Skill-improvement Colleges (CSCs) around the nation.
c. Create a Beautiful Japan Renewal Corps (tentative name).
●Further proposals on structural reform
The IMF-JC will strengthen its work on promoting and achieving structural reform and will continue offering appropriate proposals on tax structure reform, the social security system, administrative reform and financial structure reform, and other systems. Moreover, the IMF-JC is promoting the introduction of a daylight savings system to greatly improve the lifestyle of workers.
③Implementation of New Industrial Policy and establishment of foundations for the development of the metal and manufacturing industries.
Within Japan, there is a mountain of other issues requiring rapid response, including the fostering and passing on of technologies and skills in the manufacturing industries, cost structure reform in industrial infrastructure, and responding to technical innovation. Establishing a development base for the metal industries, one of the core industries in Japan, is essential for securing stable growth in the Japanese economy and stable lives for Japan's people. IMF-JC is therefore devoting maximum effort to the new industrial policy established in September 2002.
④Re-strengthening efforts to sign COC (Corporate Codes Of Conduct for labor and employment at overseas operations).
The IMF as whole has seen progress towards labor-management agreements on Corporate Codes of Conduct (COC) in countries such as Germany, Sweden, and Italy. IMF-JC will learn from those successes and reopen labor-management negotiations to sign COC from Autumn 2003.
2.Establishing solid livelihood
Establishing solid livelihood for workers, beginning with secure and stable employment
Responding to the needs of workers for security and stability, the IMF-JC is moving forward with efforts to establish employment and other life essentials. This action is based on new foundations for the Joint-Struggle, including medium- and long-term perspectives such as new work styles and lifestyles.
①Strengthening IMF-JC Joint-Struggles and building new foundations for the Joint-Struggle
As the parent organization of the JC joint struggle, the IMF-JC will work resolutely towards the solution of all issues.
●New bases for the Joint Struggle in life improvement struggles
From the perspective of strengthening JC’s participation in joint struggles, IMF-JC intends to work to build new bases for the Joint Struggle that include a vision for major work conditions including wages and bonuses.
●Restoring metal industries' wage levels by forming absolute wage levels according to individual worker descriptions
●Determination of wages by broad job categories
●Diminishing wage gaps
●Strengthening efforts for minimum wage agreements
●Strengthening efforts for the JC Minimum movements
While international competition has been intensified, motions of the labor cost reduction have been taken by management, and employment forms are diversifying. IMF-JC will strengthen its JC Minimum movement (for standard workers), and promote collective minimum wage (company-based) agreements and statutory Industrial Minimum Wages to establish equal treatment and support base wage levels for the whole metal industry, including unorganized workers.
②Establishing work rules in response to new work styles.
The number of atypically employed workers is increasing. The IMF-JC’ holds firmly to its basic philosophy of humane, long-term, stable employment, and at the same time we will make an effort to establish "New Work Styles" by introducing our policy on wages and labor conditions.
③Maintaining and strengthening safety nets such as employment insurance, pension, medical insurance and nursing care insurance.
With fewer children being born and Japanese society graying even faster than expected, the time has come for a major review of the social security system in terms of employment insurance,pensions, medicine, and long-term care. This must be done in order to resolve the people’s doubts about the system, to shrink increasing burdens as much as possible, and to make the system a sustainable one. The IMF-JC will actively propose policies for various systems from the perspectives of establishing a social safety net that guarantees a minimum living, of balancing payments and burdens, and of building sustainable systems.
3.Strengthening and developing international labor movements
Working to further strengthen and develop international labor movements
The development of globalization and marketization has awakened fierce international competition. This has brought about an increased shifting of production overseas, especially to China, as well as borderless corporate restructuring. In response to the changing times, we intend to further strengthen and develop international labor movements, especially in Asia, based on our existing activities. We will therefore work to:
①fulfill our responsibilities and roles through active participation in planning IMF action and through JC leadership in activities.
The advance of globalization has made international solidarity among labor unions more necessary than ever before. IMF-JC is a core organization of the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF) and represents Asia on the IMF Executive Committee. We will continue to actively participate in and contribute to IMF, as well as work to develop the IMF Action Program within our activities in Japan.
●Participation and expression of opinions in IMF meetings
●Developing the IMF Action Program within our domestic activities
●Labor union networking in Asia and leadership in the East Asia sub-region
②rethink our basic stance on the development of international labor movements to respond to the changing times
As economic globalization leads to worldwide corporate restructuring and the shifting of production, Japan’s metal industries and the nations of Asia face enormous and unavoidable change. International labor standards beginning with basic labor rights are badly needed in various countries. To achieve such standards, active promotion of IMF international actions is necessary, and the role of IMF-JC in particular is large. To respond to international needs, the IMF-JC will restructure its necessary international activities and further strengthen its initiatives.
●Establishing a basic philosophy on developing international labor activities
●Strengthening cooperation with Asian metalworkers unions and completing a social safety net
●Education and training for Asian metalworkers' union leaders
●Securing core labor standards
●Improving responses for Japanese corporations overseas
4.Strengthening and developing a metalworkers movement
Further strengthening and developing a metalworkers movement adapted to our changing times
With globalization and marketization and the corresponding structural reforms of Japan’s economy and society, we are now in a major transitional period. Metalworkers cooperatives must strengthen their movement based on new perspectives.IMF-JC will pursue the further strengthening and development of the metalworkers movement through the following actions.
①Developing a movement to form a social consensus through labor-management consensus.
In the future, the metal industries will remain core industries in Japan, and with their ability to absorb employment they are vital to the establishment of a developmental base for the Japanese people.
With these issues in mind, the metal industries must deepen concrete examination of issues including social security, and how to realize industrial policy and establish new ways of working. While achieving labor-management agreements, we must secure the foundation of the metal and manufacturing industries.
②Further strengthening the performance of IMF-JC (including regional organizations) to strengthen sector-based labor movements in Rengo
We are also transferring the activities of our regional liaisons to the prefectural level. We are strongly moving forward with this action, seeking the understanding not only of Rengo headquarters, but also of the regional Rengos, and we intend to open a “metals sector liaison” at each regional Rengo.
Based on the IMF-JC’s intentions, Rengo has also been examining the foundations of its own organization management over the past year. The IMF-JC will continue to update its organization, including regional organizations, as it responds appropriately to this trend. Furthermore, the IMF-JC will move forward with efforts to strengthen its functions.
③Strengthening organization to support the development of new movements by The IMF-JC.
The IMF-JC will work to maintain and strengthen its organization, the foundation underlying the metalworkers' movement, by strengthening cooperation with its member unions and taking concrete steps to further its activities.
●Maintaining and strengthening the organization
●Improving the content of Leadership Courses for the rising generation of union officers
●Improving and strengthening public relations by utilizing information tools
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