The March-11 Northeastern/Kanto earthquake took a heavy toll of human lives. Scale of the damages caused by the earthquake/tsunami and seriousness of the terrible results of the Fukushima nuclear disaster may surpass our imagination.
The NUGW has four constituent unions of Kyousei-Yunion-Iwate (Symbiotic Union Iwate), Miyagi-Godoroso (Miyagi Amalgamated Workers Union), Fukushima-Rentai-Yunion (Fukushima Solidarity Union) and Iwaki-Jiyu-Roso (Iwaki Freedom Union) in the stricken area. There are also our fraternal unions and organizations such as Tetsusanro (Railway Industrial Workers Union), Dentsuroso (Telecommunication Industrial WorkersUnion), Yuseigodo (Amalgamated Union of Postal Workers), Tohoku-Zenrokyo (Northeastern NTUC) and prefectural NTUC organizations in the area...
There have been many inquiries from constituent unions about possible relief supports and financial donation, and the NUGW national office has decided as follows:
1) The Central Executive Committee meeting is to be postponed to March xx, and the meeting is to discuss on the earthquake/tsunami countermeasures and the 2011 Spring labor campaign.
2) The NUGW is to cooperate with the NTUC, All Japan Harbor Workers’ Union, Rentai Union (All Japan Construction and Transport workers’ Union), Northeastern NTUC and NTUC-affiliated unions in the relief activities for the stricken area,
- The NUGW is to start its relief-donation “Solidarity Fund” campaign immediately.
- As for relief goods, means of transportation are unavailable for the moment, and constituent unions are requested to keep the stocks....
- As for volunteer personnel, the NUGW is to send necessary personnel from the stricken area on the request.
3) Labor counselling activities to cope with the problems of dismissal under the pretext of the earthquake/tsunami, layoff, compensation for business suspension, unemployment insurance, work-related incident insurance, etc. at the stricken area: the four Northeastern constituent unions are to undertake the counselling activities, making good use of the union experiences at the 1995 Osaka/Kobe earthquake, and taking advantage of the NTUC toll-free dial.
* translated from a PDF file:
http://nugw.kir.jp/2011/archives2011/archives2011.htm#110315
The NUGW internet homepage has its English section for its English-speaking membership, and there is posted an English NTU appeal for relief donation as follows:
http://www.generalunion.org/News/821
General Union to accept donations for Tohoku Earthquake (24 Mar 2011)
The General Union has cancelled this year’s Hanami (cherry blossom viewing) party and will instead accept donations in its place. The union will make an overall contribution on behalf of members, but we are still asking for individual donations.
The General Union donations drive is part of a national campaign by our union federation, Zenrokyo, with the donations then being sent to Tohoku Zenrokyo for disbursement.
You can make a donation of any size by visiting http://www.generalunion.org/donate
You can send international donations via Europe solidaire sans frontières (ESSF), Europe in Solidarity Without Borders, for NTUC-NUGW :
Cheques
cheques to ESSF in euros only to be sent to:
ESSF
2, rue Richard-Lenoir
93100 Montreuil
France
Bank Account:
Crédit lyonnais
Agence de la Croix-de-Chavaux (00525)
10 boulevard Chanzy
93100 Montreuil
France
ESSF, account number 445757C
International bank account details :
IBAN : FR85 3000 2005 2500 0044 5757 C12
BIC / SWIFT : CRLYFRPP
Account holder : ESSF