Zenkoku Kowan (National Council of Dockworkers' Unions of Japan), an organization for dockworkers' unions in Japan, has passed a resolution to hold a 24-hour nationwide strike on November 21, 1997.
The first objective of the strike is to protest against and demand the withdrawal of the unreasonable intervention of US and Japanese governments in our prior consultation system which is based on a labor-management agreement. The second is to oppose to port deregulation promoted by the Japanese government. At the same time, the strike is held to coincide with the Asia Pacific Region FOC campaign carried out by ITF during November 20-26 to demonstrate our solidarity towards the struggles of the dockworkers and seamen around the world including the Liverpool dockers who have put up their struggle of 26 months ever since they were dismissed from their job sites.
The US-Japan Maritime negotiations agreed on October 17 may be summarized as follows:1. Apart from the conventional prior consultation conducted by shipping companies via Japan Harbor Transport Association, a new route will be set up to allow the shipping companies to make direct applications to the terminal operater without going through the Japan Harbor Transport Association so that the shipping companies will have the freedom of selecting between the two options. 2. The number of issues subject to prior consultation will be reduced.3. An application for port transport operation license by foreign shipping companies will be processed within 2 months.
The Japanese Ministry of Transport agreed on the above conditions with the Japanese Shippers' Association, Association for Foreign Ships in Japan and Japan Harbor Transport Association. The new system is expected to take effect on December 1, 1997. However, the Ministry of Transport explains that they have no intention of intervening in labor-management agreements and that the agreement will not bind labor unions in any respect. Therefore, they claim that the agreement reached between the US and Japanese governments will not be effectuated unless the dockworkers' labor unions agree on the revision of the prior consultation agreement. As a matter of course, the dockworkers' unions have not accepted or will not accept this at any time.
Although the agreement includes the reduction of the number of issues to be subject to prior consultation, it will limit prior consultation to be applied only to the changes in the operation system of container terminals, closing the door for the consultation of other employment problems. The intention of setting up a consultation route without the medium of the Japan Harbor Transport Association is to enable the shipping companies to employ workers and labor unions who are non-members of Zenkoku Kowan so that they will not be bound by industrial labor-management agreements.
The prior consultation system originated from the ILO Dock Labor Convention No137. It started as a labor agreement reached by shipping companies, Japan Harbor Transport Association and dockworkers' unions. Any amendment of the system should be discussed by the three parties involved. We cannot accept the government's attitude of persuading a revision in the labor-management agreement as a result of government-to government negotiations. This is nothing but an intentional attack of using government-based agreement as a tool to intervene in a labor-management agreement, skeletonize industrial labor-management agreements, dissolve trade labor movements and eventually destroy labor unions.
As regards issuing of licenses to foreign shipping companies, the Ministry of Transport has suggested a new licensing system based on a new interpretation on the issuing standards. This, together with deregulation in harbor transport operations such as new entries and rate restrictions, will inevitably bring about excessive competition, worse labor conditions and labor insecurity for dockworkers. A final report will be published in early December by the Administrative Reform Council which is an advisory organ for the Prime Minister specializing in deregulation.
The dockworkers who are in support of Zenkoku Kowan will go on a 24-hour strike on November 21 in a strong protest against the destruction of industrial labor-management agreements and the attack of deregulation.
Akinobu Itoh
Assistant Secretary of Zenkowan
Japanese Dockworkers' Union
