Appeal for Realisation of Decent Work
(the Work Worth Working with Human Dignity)

The rampancy of neo-liberalism and the progress of globalisation which lacks fairness have brought about poverty, disparities, repressions and inequality all over the world and destroyed the work worth working and the life to live with human dignity, threatening the future of the people. In order to break away from such a situation and to realise a new and fair globalisation, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has called for implementation of a general world action which focuses on the realisation of decent work. Today’s rally is organised as part of the world action.

Moreover, this year marks the 60th anniversary of the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) and the 60th anniversary of the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We would like to reconfirm the importance of these universal rights.

Here in Japan, non-regular workers have rapidly increased in number and rate and the poverty which was supposed to be a relic of the past has leaped into surface as a grave social problem. Young people, in particular, who are expected to shoulder the future, are deprived of the pride of work and are forced to live the life below the level of welfare aid as is symbolised by “working poor”. They have come not to have even a natural prospect for bringing up their next generations. On the other hand, many working people are forced to work longer hours and to live the life to sacrifice their health and family life.

We severely grill the responsibility of the government which has promoted the policies which have brought about such a situation and, in particular, that of the management which has led the policies and pushed them from behind.

Labour is not a commodity. Labour is a precious and respectful work which supports the human society. We now have to recover the decent work, namely the work worth working with human dignity, for all of the people. Only with the guarantees of safe and healthy workplace environment where there is no discrimination, and of the appropriate working conditions and social protection, the freedom of association and the right to organise, is made possible the work worth working with human dignity and the society can become sustainable.

We will never allow a society which uses and discards workers. We will stop the society with disparities and realise decent work for all working colleagues. The pillars of our demands are the expansion of regular works, improvement of the treatment of non-regular workers, positive support for employment, dissolution of “working poor”, realisation of equal treatment, correction of the disparities caused according to the employment and working patterns, and improvement and expansion of safety net in employment. One step forward for their realisation will start with a victory in the impending general election. Let us achieve our demands through the change of the government! Let us start our actions for it!

On the occasion of World Day for Decent Work, we appeal to the world that we will strengthen the solidarity with working colleagues of all over the world and take actions with strengthened unity. In order to recover the human work for all people, let us create a big swell of counterattacks and struggle together!

10 October 2008
RENGO, RENGO-Tokyo and Global Union Federations (GUFs) in Japan
Japan Central Rally for World Day for Decent Work

Message from Tsuyoshi TAKAGI, President of JTUC-RENGO

On October 7, RENGO held a meeting in Tokyo for materializing public workers’ fundamental trade union rights. Ensuring public workers’ fundamental rights is essential for achieving “Decent Work for All”. In Japan, national laws heavily restrict fundamental trade union rights of public workers and the Japanese government has been ignoring recommendations of ILO Committee on Freedom of Association (CFA) to amend laws to bring them into line with international standards.　Ms. Anna Biondi Bird, Director of ITUC Geneva Office, joined the meeting and encouraged the participants for early settlement of this Japanese long-standing problem.