English

  This is a consequence of the policy of Hosei University administration that has deprived students of all the freedom of expression and the opportunity of education for years. It was published in the closing account in March that Hosei University lost 2,800 million Yen ($28 million) through money game. Could we allow it?
  On April 24, 1500 students raised their voices to protest against the absurd situation of Hosei University. The university administration, in its desperate attempt to deny the reality, asked the police to arrest the organizers of April 24 rally, insisting that the students were manipulated by the protesting students. If the university administration resorts to such outrageous measures, we only have to break down this unbearable situation of Hosei University by our indignation.
We are now witnessing a violent drive for war. Aggressive war on North Korea is imminent. The US is facing serious crisis of capitalist system as is exposed by the global financial crisis. Not to mention, political rule of Liberal Democratic Party in Japan is almost collapsing. We must establish an accurate perception of the present situation that is in the midst of declining ruling system and precipitating toward inevitable war.
In the “Korean Crisis” in 1994, US government urged Japan to offer effective support to the US war, indicating 1000 points that included transportation of military goods, utilization of Japanese transport facilities, such as airports and harbors, by US forces, and medical cooperation in hospitals, etc. At that time, Japanese ruling class was not ready to accept US demand because of insufficient mobilization of labor unions to government’s side. Now the Japanese ruling class is rushing for an attempt of disorganizing labor unions to meet the demand of war mobilization. The bankruptcy of GM is explained as a result of unfavorable role of the labor union and is used as pretext of further union busting.
What should universities and students do in face of the present grave situation? The essential task of education should be, in my conviction, to open up a brilliant future and the history could be created through destroying traditional value and mindset. It is impermissible, therefore, that students suffer severe repression for their activity to demand freedom on campus and they be forced to engage themselves in military research and be mobilized into war.
Hosei University struggle is for getting back and strengthening unity of students for the creation of a new university and a new society. The issue of war and the issue of destruction of comradely relation with other students are one and the same. For us students who live together on campus, friends and colleagues are extremely precious. When we rise up for the struggle in unity, we can no doubt change the present situation. Let’s raise our angry voices!

 Rally and demonstration with 2100 participants in Shibuya on June 14 struggle

 Preceding the struggle on June 15, the National Workers’ Rally was held on June 14 to fight against war, constitutional revision and mass unemployment and to kick out Aso administration. The broad and leafy avenue of Yoyogi Park in Shibuya was filled with 2100 workers and students. On the call of Doro-Chiba, the sponsor of the rally, they gathered from across the country, representing militant labor unions, Sanrizuka-Shibayama United Opposition League against Narita Airport Construction, fighting lawyers and students of Hosei and other universities.
 After the keynote speech of president TANAKA of Doro-Chiba (See below), workers of various industrial branches (national railway, education, public sector, postal service, medical etc.) denounced the outrageous repression on Hosei students and stated that what is happening in Hosei is just like the current situation of their workplaces. They declared to confront the class-collaborationist labor union leadership, get back labor union to the hands of rank and file workers and go forward for a revolution to achieve a fundamental change of this society.
 Sister HORAGUCHI Tomoko of the Federation of Cultural Club of Hosei University, recently released from unjust detention, appeared on the stage in the midst of enthusiastic applause and declare a victory of students’ struggle in unity against the “Violence Punishment Law” (Law Concerning the Punishment of Physical Violence and others) in the first round and confirmed her will to continue fighting on campus together with her comrades in detention who are keeping complete silence in face of violent police interrogation. She expressed her conviction that justice was on our side and we shall win.
 “2009 Joint International Anti-War Statement to the Working People of the World” was read out. The participants warmly applauded the statement that was signed by 5 organizations, namely Sanrizuka-Shibayama United Opposition League against Narita Airport Construction, Doro-Chiba, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Seoul Regional Council, International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) local 34 and Transport Workers’ Solidarity Committee, calling for a struggle against Obama and Aso administrations.
 The participants rushed into the street in a huge troop of energetic demonstration and draw attention of passers-by. Many schoolboys and girls as well as student and young workers spontaneously joined one after another in the march. Sympathetic reaction spread on the street to the calls of the demonstrators, “Crush the society that treats us like an article! Break the chain of wage slavery!” and the march grew larger and larger till the termination.
 Thus the successive struggle on June 14 and 15 has evidently opened up a new starting point for Japanese class struggle.

 The keynote speech of brother TANAKA Yasuhiro

 Chrysler collapsed and GM went bankruptcy. Capitalist system is on the brink of ruin. All workers of the world are now unable to live a human life. We need a fundamental change of this society. Everything depends upon workers who have the power to achieve this task. Now we have to win.
 We demand reinstatement of dismissed 1047 national railway workers. While the Division and Privatization Offensive drove 200,000 national railway workers out of job, KOKURO (National Railway Workers’ Union) has been reduced in only six years to a union with 40,000 memberships from 240,000. In the past 20 years 10,000,000 workers have been thrown into irregular employment. The present situation of labor world is the total result of the Division and Privatization of National Railways. Therefore we must win the struggle of 1047 national railway workers.
 A defeatist group of “Four Parties and Four Organizations”, however, seeks a way of concession through backstage negotiation with the governing Liberal Democratic Party. Have we been fighting for 22 years in order to end this struggle with back door deal?
 The attempt of introducing Doshusei (Wider-Area Local Government System) aims at intimidating and destroying labor unions through discharging all public sector workers followed by selective re-employment like the case in National Railways. This is the road to war. Look at what is happening in the privatized post service. Its catastrophic situation shows us an outlook of a victory of workers there. When dismissed 1047 national railway workers exhibit their experienced fighting power and call upon all the colleagues all over Japan for unity, a unified struggle of 50,000 or rather 100,000 workers is surely possible. We live now in such a time.
Another important agenda is the Workers’ Dispatch Law. While drastic slash of dispatched workers is discussed so heatedly, the Liberal Democratic government has no serious intention of addressing to this problem. On the contrary, they are planning further dismissal of workers. The crucial problem here is also the rotten attitude of two major national labor centers, Rengo (Japanese Trade Union Confederation) and Zenroren (National Trade Union Confederation of Japan). Japan Electrical, Electronic & Information Union, one of Rengo unions, recently declared their opposition to the prohibition of workers’ dispatch in manufacturing industries because “international competitiveness would be lost”. We must now carry out a fundamental transformation of labor movement into a militant labor union to fight against capital.
 The next issue is war. The Great Depression of 1929 finally ended in plunge into World War II. This is capitalism. Labor unions can either stop war or cooperate in waging war. In other words, labor unions have power to run a society.
 We are calling on workers for a solidarity struggle tomorrow with the students of Hosei University. What is now happening in Hosei University has a historical importance. We are faced with a historical choice. Two years after the Kyoto Student Federation Affair in 1925 (a crackdown on Kyoto University students), an all-out raid crushed Japan Communist Party and Japan rushed into war.
 Everywhere in the world violent confrontations are taking place between the ruling class and workers, students and citizens. It is the underlying tendency of today. We have to choose which way to go. If we are defeated, it will be war. To confront this situation squarely, it is urgent for us to expand unity and to rise up for struggle in firm confidence in the power of working class. The conclusion of my keynote speech is to organize, organize and organize in order to revive labor union.

Before starting for demonstration, young workers spoke one after another, "Mitarai, head of Nihon-Keidanren and Cannon Inc., should be fired, not workers" "Let's rise up for a demonstration to overthrow capitalist rule!" "Stop brutal Israeli air raid on Gaza!" Yosuke Oda, president of Zengakuren (All Japan Federation of Student Autonomous Bodies) made a short speech, saying, "Everywhere in the world people are rising up for demonstrations against Israeli air raid on Gaza. We vehemently denounce the indiscriminate massacre of Palestinian people by Israeli government. It's time to take to the streets against war and confront economic crisis with mounting anger!"

Demonstrators with flags of their labor unions, starting from Miyashita Park and passing through the most crowded street in front of Shibuya railway station, shouted slogans: "Change the society by the power of labor union!" "Let's organize fighting unions!" "Capitalists, go to garbage dump!" "Let's take back all what we have given to the society!" "Don't allow Israeli attack on Palestinian people!" "United, we can stop war" "Make a protest demonstration in front of Nihon-Keidanren headquarters!". Drum beat animated angry voices of demonstrators and the street echoed with its sound. A lot of passers-by were fascinated by the militant demonstration and many young workers joined in on-the-spot discussion. The whole street of Shibuya seemed liberated for a while by the militant and vigorous demonstration.

Prior to the demonstration, 60 activists made a street campaign with a great success: 2500 copies of flyers were handed over; 520 people signed up for a protest action against slashing dispatched and temp workers; and fund raising amounted to 110,000 Yen ($1100). It proves the street is filled with anger of working people. A kick-off declaration was issued for a general strike 2009 with a slogan: "We must live!"

　Join us all to the protest demonstration to the Nihon-Keidanren:
　　January 8th, 18:00 p.m.
　　Tokiwa-bashi Park (4 minutes' walk from Tokyo Station, Yaesu Exit)

 Her speech was immediately followed by two education workers: Ms.KAWARAI Junko, who was punished for her disobedience in Hinomaru and Kimigayo school ceremony, reported on her struggle, referring to the success of her co-fighter, NEZU Kimiko, in preventing the attempt of discharge, and stated the importance of international solidarity. Another dissident education worker, Ms.YONEYAMA Yoshie, also spoke of her activities and her vision for further struggle against Hinomaru and Kimigayo.
  Mr. FUJITA Sukeyuki, former professor of Keio University, an expert of nuclear damage investigation, delivered a speech titled "Stationing of antiballistic missile and Japan's nuclear armament" and denounced government's attempt of missile development. He refused to be a simple live witness of nuclear disaster and claim to be a fighter against nuke and war, articulating his statement, "No more prayer for peace, but let's be angry Nagasaki"
 Reports of workers representing various workplaces followed: Mr.HABIRO Ken, one of the defendants of national railway struggle trial (a case of political repression on the occasion of Japan National Railway Union), declared his determination to continue fighting against every tempt of compromise with the slogans, "Withdraw unjust dismissals, no to privatization" "Crush neo-liberal offensive"; an education worker proudly reported his struggle to refuse to stand up for Kimigayo in front of Hinomaru, and a public service worker described how he fought back administrative attempt of introducing job-evaluation system in his workplace.
The rally made clear that young workers are now appearing on the stage of class struggle as main character to change the existing situation of anti-war/anti-nuke movement under the influence of corrupt labor movement leadership. Their keywords are: "Only revolution can abolish war and nuke once for all. We rise up for it" "It is us, young workers, that change the whole world". 
Mr. TAKIGUCHI Makoto, executive committee member of Doro-Chiba, made a closing address with a call for general mobilization for November Workers' Rally. 

　"Come on police! You banned demonstration. It's OK!" The participants of the rally, shouting loud, broke through the barrier of riot police and rushed into the street of Shibuya. The demonstrators in a tight scrum directed toward the Shibuya station. Riot police and security police were put in defensive. Arrests of 8 people, including workers and students, flared up anger of demonstrators and overwhelmed police repression with ever tightening scrum.

Extraordinary police guard for the security of G8 Summit was completely broken up. On the wrap-up  rally, young workers yelled, "We have won today's demonstration". All the participants enjoyed the successful demonstration that overpowered police repression. "Workers united will never be defeated". The June 29 rally and demonstration proved it nationwide and worldwide.   

Heavy rain could not prevent workers and students from gathering to the rally in front of the outdoor stage of Yoyogi park in a large mass. The keynote speech was delivered by Tanaka Yasuhiro, President of Doro-Chiba, who furiously denounced the extraordinary police guard to defend G8 Summit. He called on the rally participants, articulating, "Anger of working class is on the brink of explosion. Our task is to organize angry workers into unity. Let's go ahead in the forefront of the stormy age. It's the mission of militant labor unions."   

High-spirited speeches were made one after another: the students of Zengakuren (All Japan Federation of Student Autonomous Bodies) who had been arrested in the struggle of Hosei university, a Hosei university student who carried out hunger strike in protest of police repression, and a young workers who is resisting the planned construction of a US military base in Henoko in Okinawa. They all called on the participants to wage a militant demonstration, defying police repression and not fearful of being arrested. Workers of Japan Railway, education, postal service, municipalities, hospitals and other industrial branches talked about their fresh experiences of uncompromising struggle in the work place and spoke out their anger against the G8 Summit.

Let’s change the world by power of labor movement!

Let’s make a revolt at our workshops! Let’s make a massive demonstration on the street! Smash G8-Summit by strikes and demonstrations! Arrogant capitalists and their politicians can do nothing in face of revolts at workshops.
Doro Chiba (National Railway Motive Power Union of Chiba) waged a spring offensive strike this year and made an appeal of unity and solidarity across industries and workplaces. Let’s create a fighting labor movement that can defeat capitalists and the state power! Let’s get back true labor union to us, overthrowing misleaders of existing labor unions; they yield to capitalists and the state power saying, “Struggles can provide workers with nothing”.

Let’s make a powerful demonstration on June 29 in Shibuya!

Metropolitan Police Department arrested 38 students at Hosei University on May 28-29: Hosei 38 were demonstrating on campus and making an appeal for a student strike of “Smash G8!”. G8-Summit intends to break down fighting unity between workers and students.
The state power is awfully scared of strikes and demonstrations. G8-leaders must know that they can’t hold a conference calmly. Let’s make a huge march of 10,000 people!
Let’s demonstrate together and create unity! Let’s express our anger! Let’s transform Shibuya into a town of angry workers, students, the elderly and farmers!

June 29, 13:00    Zone B, Yoyogi Park  http://www.jpnodong.org/index.html
Contact : Doro-Chiba TEL.043-222-7207　FAX.043-224-7197  E-mail : doro-chiba@doro-chiba.org