A 2-member delegation of AICCTU, comprising AICCTU Vice President N N Banerjee and National Secretary Pradip Bandopadhyay attended the 28th Congress of Japan Confederation of Railway worker’s Unions (JRU) on 3-4 June, 2012 in Tokyo. The occasion also marked the 25th anniversary of the confederation.
16 delegates from different countries participated in the conference. Prominent organizations among the participants were Rail and Maritime Transport Union New Zealand, Rail Train and Bus Union Australia, Solidarity of Filipino Workers, and Rail Trade Union Belgrade, Serbia. The President, International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) also addressed the conference.
Addressing the Congress, N N Banerjee expressed solidarity with the ongoing struggle waged by JRU against the Japan government’s violation of human rights and workers’ rights to organize. He spoke of the movement of the Indian working class against neoliberal policies pursued by the Indian government since 1991. He told.
Japan’s workers of AICCTU’s participation in the solidarity movement in and around Koodankulam in Tamilnadu against the nuclear power plant. He also highlighted the deplorable working conditions of rail workers in India, particularly the unorganized section of workers engaged in outsourced jobs by contractors, whose right to organize is threatened with dismissal and police action including denial of statutory benefits like PF, ESI and minimum wages etc. Appreciating the role of JRU in organizing 70% irregular workers in JR East railway, he spoke of AICCTU’s role in organizing the unorganized workers in India. In the interactive session all international delegates emphasized the need to organize globally against victimization of rail workers by MNCs and governments. Masaharu Takei, the president of JRU explained in details the history and background of their Union’s formation, including the collapse of Japan National Railways in collusion with corporate houses, railway bureaucrats and government of Japan.
The 28th Congress of JRU adopted resolutions resolving to fight neoliberal policies, resist re-operation of nuclear power plants, continue the struggle against the conviction of 7 union activists and dismissal from service of leaders in the JR Urawa Electric Train Depot case, a conviction upheld by the Supreme Court of Japan; against changing article 9 of the constitution in order to allow Japan to join wars.
