Japan Doro-Mito Railroad Workers Strike To Protect Workers And Communities From Exposure To Radioactive Dust

 

Doro-Chiba Quake Report

August 7, 2012/ issue 45

International Labor Solidarity Committee of Doro-Chiba (National Railway Motive Power Union of Chiba)

Japan Doro-Mito Railroad Workers Strike To Protect Workers And Communities From Exposure To Radioactive Dust

Doro-Mito Strikes

Protest action in front of Daigo Transport Facility, July 30

Defend workers and communities from exposure to radioactive dust
The JR East Company decided to force workers to decontaminate radiators of diesel locomotives in the Hitachi-Daigo Yard from July 30 on. The trains brought to the Yard had run through areas contaminated by radioactive fallout and their radiators have full of radioactive dust.
In fact, the managing staff used special anti-dust masks, goggles and rain courts only to test wash one radiators, despite companies assertion of “safety.”

Stop forcing young workers into radiation-exposed labor!
Doro-Mito has demanded to stop the plan to clean up the radiators because it is very dangerous especially for younger workers to be involved in decontaminating operation dealing with radioactive materials. However, the company clings the cleaning plan: “There’s no problem. Radiation level is lower than the government’s standard.”
On top of it, the JR managers keep saying: “The radiation level in Fukushima is much higher than your workplaces.” They openly recognize the extremely high level of radiation in Fukushima. Nevertheless, they cynically refuse to take even some mitigating measure for people in Fukushima, but expose JR workers to the same amount of radiation.

Life-threatening inspection & repair outsourcing: JR evades all safety requirements
The JR East Company decided to outsource inspection & repair work and other yard operation from October 1 on. It is a wholesale shifting of responsibility for safety of JR workers, communities and passengers to subcontractors. Safety from rail accidents and radiation exposure would be neglected.
Furthermore, the company published overall outsourcing in everysection.

Abolish irregular job system! Abolish all nuclear power plants!
The Division & Privatization of Japan National Railways in 1987 and subsequent outsourcing of many jobs in privatized JR Companies paved the way to overall cazualization; about 40 % of workers in Japan have now irregular jobs. Particularly, almost all of workers on the sites of nuclear power plants are irregularly employed.
Doro-Mito’s struggle against radiation-exposed work, outsourcing and irregular job system will change.
Anti-Nuke Rallies

comparable only with the
post-WWII class struggle

 

 
July 16
170,000 gathered in Yoyogi Park

On July 17, the Good By NPP 100,000 People Rally gathered 170,000 people far more surpassing everyone’s expectations. Labor unions were the main force that organized mobilization efforts.
The huge crowd of participants had to hold separate rallies in several sections of Yoyogi Park. At the podium of the main section, one of the initial endorser and famous writer, Kenzaburo Oe expressed his anger, “We brought over 7 and half million signatures to the Prime Ministers Office; the PM’s answer for them was restart of Oi Nuclear Power Plant. This is the most blatant insult. We must crush the government’s scheme. We can do it.” Mr Tetsuen Nakajima from western Fukui Prefecture where Oi NPP is located and Ms Ruiko Muto from Fukushima also spoke at the main section.
At 1:30 PM, when the rallies were still ongoing, demonstrations on three separate courses had to start.
The contingent from Fukushima, including Fukushima Women Against Nuclear Power, with their “Fukushima Anger” flags led demonstrators on the Harajuku course. Nazen, (National Conference to Abolish All Nuclear Plants Now) also took the Harajuku course.
Recent massive protest actions—surrounding of PM’s Office by hundreds of thousands people every week and the huge July 16 rally—shows a beginning of a historic upsurge of class struggle comparable only with the post-WWII massive revolutionary movement.
Workers and people in Japan have deep anger toward the Prime Minister Noda and corrupt leaders of the national trade union center, Rengo, who promote nuclear power, consumer tax hike, privatization and cazualization of jobs.
Let’s rebuild class struggle labor movement together and win our victory!
People surround the Prime Minister’s Office and the Parliament Building

 

 

 
 
 

Protest actions held every Friday in front of the     PM’s Office are rapid ly growing since July. On Sunday July 29, 200,000 people surrounded the Parliament.
 

Nazen contingent in Hibiya Park before the march to the Parliament, July 29

In front of the Parliamant Building, July 29
 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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