Dear Friends,
Japan’s Ministry of Labor announced an amendment to the Dockers’ Act. At present, the provision of additional labor is governed by the Port Labor Security Center, a public entity that dispatches registered workers. The amendment proposed by the Ministry of Labor will allow stevedores to dispatch their own workers freely without involving a public entity, will eliminate the dispatching business currently in operation under the Port Labor Security Center, and will result in the dismissal of 130 workers employed by the Center.
The proposed amendment will cause a reduction in the number of dockers and deteriorate working conditions. All Japan Dockworkers’ Union will hold a 24-hour strike on January 20 of the Center workers in order to protest against this adverse amendment. On January 26, the Center workers will hold a 24-hour strike and simultaneously a one-hour strike will be held at every port. On January 27, we will hold a rally meeting in Tokyo.
We ask you to do the following. Please send your message of encouragement to us in support of our struggle. Also, make protests to the Japanese Embassies and Consulates in your area. If you do so, please send us a copy of your letter of protest.
I have attached a copy of the Executive Committee’s resolution.
In solidarity,
Akinobu Itoh
General Secretary
All Japan Dockworkers’ Union
Fax +81-3-3733-8825
E-mail aki-itoh@peach.plala.or.jp
January 18, 2000
The Ministry of Labor has informed us of their views on amending the Dockers’ Act. The contents are considerably different from what was being deliberated by the Port Labor Committee of the Central Employment Security Council over the course of a year since June 1998. Furthermore, the Ministry is unilaterally demanding that we approve the proposed amendment during a single meeting with the Port Labor Committee on January 20. We object strongly to such coercion by the Ministry of Labor.
A report by the Port Labor Committee, which had deliberated on a system that would allow for smooth, flexible permanent workers accommodations among stevedores, reads that such system “must be operated under the involvement of a public entity (Port Labor Employment Security Center) in the interest of ensuring proper adjustment of labor demand and supply and of eliminating the entry of malevolent labor supply businesses.” Although we did not assent to this report, the Ministry’s proposed amendment is a worst case scenario that removes the requirement of an involved public entity, allows stevedores to engage in the dispatching business, and calls for the elimination of the dispatching business of the Port Labor Employment Security Center, which currently operates the dispatching of dockers.
The proposed amendment by the Ministry of Labor legalizes the stevedores to mutually share dockers, which is illegal under the current law, and allows stevedores, whose work type under the Worker Dispatching Law cannot engage in the laborer dispatching business, to dispatch workers for business. If this became the case, stevedores will reduce the number of permanent workers they employ and the employment of casual workers will increase. Without the involvement of a public entity, the order surrounding employment will be largely disrupted.
By abolishing the dispatching business of the Port Labor Employment Security Center, the Ministry of Labor’s proposed amendment will result in the layoff of 130 workers employed by the center. We cannot let the ministry propose the layoff of workers at a time when the employment situation is deteriorating.
The proposed amendment by the Ministry of Labor is far from “securing stable labor relations” by deregulating stevedoring business, and the amendment makes it clear that deregulation promotes the layoff of workers including permanent workers in order to cut labor costs and will result in worse working conditions.We will unite with our colleagues who work in ports and with those who are fighting against deregulation as a unified front to stop the undesirable amendments to the Dockers’ Act.
Central Executive Committee
All Japan Dockworkers’ Union
