[APWSLMembers 58] Re: privatization bills were scrapped in Japan

[John Maynard]

Dear Yoko and friends

It is very encouraging to hear your news about a victory in the current
struggle against the privatisation of Japan Post.

I was one of a group of five Postal Workers Union members from Aotearoa/New
Zealand who visited Japan for Mayday 1999. We were hosted by APWSL Japan the
Yusei Zenrokyo Postal Workers Union and other supporting workers.  We always
remember the warm and generous hospitality of our hosts and the many other
Japanese workers we met.  We especially remember the strong ,militant and
optomistic spirit of the union members!

We hope you have many more victories!

We look forward to the fourth APWSL organised workers' exchange visit from
Japan to Aotearoa/New Zealand later next year.

John Maynard
Postal Workers Union
Aotearoa/New Zealand


----- Original Message -----
From: "Yoko Akimoto" <nag00562 at nifty.ne.jp>
To: "APWSL-Intl" <APWSLMembers at labornetjp.org>
Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2005 5:23 AM
Subject: [APWSLMembers 57] privatization bills were scrapped in Japan


> Dear friends,
>
> I'm informing all of you with the greatest joy that the bills of
privatization
> of postal services in Japan were rejected and scrapped in the Upper
> House by a margin of 17 votes on Aug 8.
>
> The bills passed at the Lower House by a narrow margin of five votes on
> July 5. Then, the bills continued to be debated at the Upper House until
> the bills were killed on Aug 8.
>
> As for privatization of postal services in Japan, eighty percent or more
> of Japanese oppose it in the first place, according to many surveys
> conducted by the media. Additionally, even each prefectural assembly
> where the majority belongs to the ruling parties adopted a resolution on
> opposition or resistance to the bills.
> The main reason for objection to privatization of postal services from
> the public is that many residents particularly living in the rural area
> or a local town feel anxious that postal office would disappear after
> privatization. They already know what privatization is or what
> privatization has brought about, through privatization of national
> railway in 1987. After privatization of railway services in 1987, local
> or deficit lines were abandoned because profit comes first. As a result,
> many local towns or villages have been losing vitality and the number of
> residents has been becoming less as they prefer to live in cities or
> more convenient places.
> In addition, many local banks familiar to residents disappeared or are
forced to stand on the edge of a precipice because the government raised a
> baseline of recognition for deficit bank or financial institution. Hence,
> residents or owners of small business in a local town cannot get access
> to them any more. Finally, the remaining one they depend on is
> postal office.
>
> Most of the media supporting privatization or the Koizumi administration
> criticize MPs or rebels in his party who oppose privatization for their
> sticking to a traditional way of politics causing a structure of
> collusion between particular MPs and industries which mean that they
> protect the interest hidden in postal services.
> I think it may be true in a way. They are seen beneficiaries of the
> interest produced by the current postal system.
>
> However, the reason for the rejection of the bills is more than that. I
> confidently say that many Japanese said No to Privatization, No to
> Neoliberalism. I consider the rejection represents a revolt of local
> residents or local areas suffering from neo-liberalistic globalization.
>
> Privatization of postal services is what Koizumi has cherished since he
> took up as PM four years ago. He always said that the privatization was a
> centerpiece of a series of Regulatory Reform policies promoted by his
> administration as well as his belief. And now he has never changed the
> view even after rejection.
>
> Well, why does Koizumi cling to privatization of postal services? To put
> it very briefly, he is really a puppet of Bush, as all of you know. When
> he met Bush at Gleneagles immediately after positive voting at the LH,
> Koizumi's performance was applauded for passage of privatization bills
> at the LH by Bush, according to the media.
>
> Every year the US government submits to the Japanese government a letter
> of demands called "Annual Reform Demand Document" since Clinton and
> Japanese PM met at the regular Japan-US summit meeting in 1993 to
> recognize that the US would submit the document. The document orders the
> JP govt to revise laws unfavorable to the US interest. Privatization of
> postal services is a biggest demand among them.
> The Japanese postal savings deposits amount to about $3 trillion. Now
> the amount, or a key of state budget, is still controlled and managed by
> the government. However, Koizumi tries to flow the amount in the
> marketplace after privatization, upon request of the US. The US
> industries including insurance companies or vulture investors are aiming
> at this fund.
> For the document, see the following USTR site:
>
http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2004/October/United_Stat
es_Calls_on_Japan_to_Bolster_Regulatory_Reform_Submits_Far-Reaching_Recommen
dations.html?ht=japanese%20government
>
> Mizuho Fukushima, a chairperson of the Social Democratic Party as well
> as attorney at law questioned about the bills of privatization of postal
> services at an open meeting organized by ATTAC Japan and Yusei Rodosha
> Union (standing for Postal Workers' Union in Japanese), a small and
> independent but very active union, saying "it became clear during
> session at Parliament that Japanese high-ranking officials of the Postal
> Services Privatization Office met their US counterparts or industries
> seventeen times to discuss privatization of postal services in Japan.
> Did such Japanese officials meet Japanese residents about the issue
> seventeen times? That is absolutely, NO"
>
> Koizumi and his cronies will never disclose the fact that he just follows
the American request of privatization.
>
> Considering the situation, we at ATTAC Japan and Yusei Rodosha Union
> jointly did many different activities to block the bills. We formed a
> Citizens' Network for Watching Privatization of Postal Services in April.
> The aim was to stir up discussion about privatization or boost up
> discussion to the level that every people are discussing about
> privatization, instead of persisting on turning down privatization from
> the first.
> Our activities included open meetings, distribution of fliers at the
> street and to MPs, lobbying (calling on MPs to debate with them about
> what privatization is or our resistance to privatization), sit-in in
> front of the Parliament, etc. Sometimes we used a interview video titled
> "What is Privatization? - Voices from the Outside" taken in Porte Alegre
> this year.
>
> Finally, we scrapped the bills. Koizumi broke up the LH and declared a
> general election scheduled on Sept. 11.
> Koizumi said, "I am merciless to rebels in my party. I'll feed in
> a powerful rival candidate in each constituency where rebels are
> supposed to run for an election."
> As of today, Koizumi already announced some candidates, possibly leading
> to a bitter battle or infighting which is clearly beyond common sense.
>
> Koizumi is proud of being called a maverick. However, we say that what
> he did, is doing or will do is just becoming a YES person to the US
> unconditionally.
> He doesn't care about criticism from China, Korea and other Asian
> countries on his administration's stance apparently approving invasion of
> Asia during WWII.
> Researchers say that there are much more issues he has to address now,
> such as pension reform, employment, foreign policy including permanent
> membership of the UN Security Council, SDF(Self Defence Forces)'s
> dispatch to Iraq, and relationship with North Korea, etc., adding that
> people don't prefer discussion on privatization of postal services now.
>
> Koizumi is aiming at the next stage. He will submit a new style of
> privatization bills to the Parliament.
> We have to shut down his intention thoroughly.
> Our struggle against privatization and neo-liberalistic globalization
> still continues.
>
> Yoko Akimoto
> Secretariat, ATTAC Japan & APWSL Japan
>
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