News
As this year’s spring annual laborer offensive for port and harbor workers is at a deadlock, the National Council of Dockworkers’ Unions of Japan (Zenkoku Kowan) and the Japanese Confederation of Port and Harbor Transport Workers’ Unions (Koun Domei) will stage a 24-hour strike again on April 2 at all ports across Japan. It is now expected the efforts to break the deadlock will be made on a full scale next week or later, reaching a very important stage in early April.
Zenkoku Kowan and Koun Domei met with the Japan Harbor Transportation Association (Nikkokyo) on March 23 for the fourth round of their 2017 collective bargaining session. However, the labor and management failed to reach accord on concluding an industry-wide agreement, which includes a revision of minimum wages, and securing employment. As such, the unions went on a strike on March 26 as they had given prior notice. Nevertheless, the situation did not change so notably afterward as to have them back to their bargaining session. Therefore, the unions did not have a choice to stage the April 2 strike that they unveiled during the talks on March 23, making the 2017 spring offensive see all-day strikes on two consecutive Sundays.
Zenkoku Kowan and Koun Domei will again refuse to accept all jobs at all locations at all ports across Japan, which will include cargo-handling activities, round the clock, or from the start of a workday on April 2 to that on the following day.
