連合会長３選 賃上げへの追い風生かせるか

The Yomiuri Shimbun October 6, 2013
Can Rengo ride favorable winds of Abenomics to achieve pay hikes?
連合会長３選　賃上げへの追い風生かせるか（10月5日付・読売社説）

How can a virtuous circle be created in which wage increases are achieved in line with economic growth? The role of labor unions will be put to the test in this regard.
　経済成長とともに賃金が上昇する好循環をどう生み出すか。労働組合の役割も問われよう。

At its regular meeting, the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) has agreed to press for wage hikes ahead of the annual spring labor offensive. Rengo President Nobuaki Koga, who was elected for a rare third term, urged affiliated unions to study concrete measures to realize this goal.
　連合は定期大会で、来年の春闘に向けて、賃上げ要求を強めることで一致した。異例の３選を果たした古賀伸明会長は、各労組に検討を促した。

The move reflects the trade union’s intention to ride the favorable winds of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Abenomics policies, which are aimed at getting the country out of deflation.
　デフレ脱却を目指す安倍政権の経済政策「アベノミクス」を追い風ととらえた対応と言える。

A consumption tax rate increase from next spring has already been decided on. If the impact of the tax rate increase can be reduced by introducing pay increases, and if personal consumption can thereby be invigorated, the economic recovery will become more certain.
　来春には消費税率が引き上げられることが決まった。賃上げによって、増税ショックがやわらぎ、個人消費も活性化すれば、景気回復はより確かなものになろう。

Rengo has joined a three-party forum representing the government, economic circles and labor unions to help with an effort to move toward creating a virtuous circle. As the business world is still wary of pay increases, labor and management representatives must work to find a way to achieve them.
　連合は、政府、経済界と「政労使協議」に参加し、経済の好循環に向けた話し合いを始めた。経済界は賃上げにはなお慎重なだけに、労使協調で賃上げを実現していく道を模索する必要がある。

However, the gap between Rengo and the Abe administration is widening on the issue of employment deregulation. At its recent regular meeting, Rengo adopted a special resolution calling for “a confrontational stance to categorically refuse any attempt to change the rules on worker protection for the worse.”
　一方で、安倍政権との溝が広がっているのが、雇用の規制緩和の問題だ。大会では「労働者保護ルールを改悪しようとする動きは断固阻止しなければならない」と明記した特別決議を採択した。

As a pillar of its growth strategy, the Abe administration is studying a policy of encouraging reemployment at promising companies by making dismissal and job transfer easier. It also aims to expand the temporary employment system.
　安倍政権は、成長戦略の柱の一つとして、社員の解雇や転職をしやすくし、将来性のある企業への再就職を促す施策を検討中だ。派遣労働の拡充も目指している。

Given the fact that nearly 40 percent of the workforce are nonregular workers, it is understandable that the labor unions are concerned about employment stability.
　労働者の４割近くが非正規雇用であり、労組が、雇用の安定に危機感を抱くのは理解できる。

Low unionization rate

Although employment regulations were toughened under the Democratic Party of Japan-led government, supported by Rengo, the move failed to stem an increase in the number of nonregular workers. Rengo has set “a goal of organizing nonregular workers” as a centerpiece of its movement, but so far this has not led to sufficient results.
　ただ、連合が支持した民主党政権は、雇用規制を強めたが、非正規雇用の増加に歯止めはかからなかった。連合も「非正規労働者の組織化」を運動の柱としながら、十分な効果を上げていない。

There has been some criticism that Rengo, comprising mainly regular workers at large firms, is far from representative of the working population as a whole. Meanwhile, the rate of unionization has dropped to 17.9 percent.
　「大企業・正社員」中心の連合が労働者の代表と言えないという批判もある。労組の組織率は１７・９％にまで落ち込んだ。

To what extent can Rengo exercise its influence over improving wages and labor conditions? This is a difficult challenge for Rengo.
　連合は、賃金改善や非正規の待遇改善にどこまで影響力を発揮できるか、重い課題である。

Regarding working with political parties, Koga said Rengo “is willing to hold consultative policy talks with any ruling or opposition party” despite maintaining its conventional policy of leaning heavily toward the DPJ.
　古賀会長は、政党との関係について、従来通り民主党を重視するとしながらも、「与野党どことも政策協議を行う」と語った。

Disappointment in the DPJ’s failure to manage its government was profoundly felt within Rengo. This is evidenced by the fact that the Japan Teachers Union, a Rengo member, removed “support for the DPJ” from its action plan.
　民主党の政権運営の失敗に、連合内の失望感は深い。日教組が運動方針から「民主党支持」の文言を外したのはその証左だ。

It is notable that Rengo has revised its political mandate for the first time in a decade. As it removed the phrase “it is too early to put constitutional revision up for discussion,” Rengo seems finally to accept discussions over revising the nation’s top law.
　注目されるのは、１０年ぶりに改定された連合の政治方針で、憲法問題について「憲法改正を俎(そ)上(じょう)にのせることは時期尚早」との文言を削除したことだ。ようやく憲法改正論議を容認したのだろう。

Koga-led Rengo must respond swiftly to changes in the times. It should promote a realistic labor movement that can win the approval of a wide spectrum of people.
　古賀連合は、時代の変化に機敏に対応しなければならない。国民から広く共感を得られるよう、現実的な運動を展開すべきだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 5, 2013)
（2013年10月5日01時26分  読売新聞）