Statement of the National Trade Union Council (NTUC: Zenrokyo) on the Northeastern/Kanto earthquake and tsunami, March 15, 2011

Around 14:46, March 11, there were the biggest earthquake on Japanese record, with its seismic center at an Pacific offing of the Northeastern region, and accompanying tremendous tsunami; consequently large number of lives were lost and devastating damages were brought on along the Pacific coastal area. As time passes, the immensity of damages and sufferings are becoming glaring more and more.

We express our heartfelt sympathy to those suffered people who are now in the severe cold under the threat of aftershocks.

The NTUC is determined to do its utmost for collection of relief donations, material support and manpower contribution to the sufferers, setting up its Northeastern/Kanto-earthquake countermeasures commission.

What is more, a terrible and disastrous situation has been developing at the Fukushima nuclear power station. The government has set up its countermeasures machinery, but it is not necessarily effective enough. Now we reaffirm our denuclearizationist position to oppose construction of nuclear power plant, and we must firmly stand for safety of the local population around the nuclear plant and the those who are working at the plant.

The NTUC is to mobilize its constituent unions and regional organizations for the relief activities in close cooperation with the suffered area. We call on working people to cooperate with us.

* Ttranslated from a PDF file: http://www.zenrokyo.org/fax/faxdata/1463.pdf

Note from the translator:

The NTUC (Zenrokyo) is a consultative coordinating body of national and local unions, independent of the mainstream Rengo (JTUC: Japanese Trade Union Confederation) and the pro-CP Zenroren (NCTU: National Confederation of Trade Unions), set up in 1989. Its 2010 membership was 133,000, according to the 2010 trade union survey of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welefare.

The NUGW (National Union of General Workers) is also on the move for earthquake/tsunami relief activities, with the NTUC.

We shall publish a more information as soon as we receive them in English.

For other translated documents, see:

– March 16 Northeastern NTUC assessment: Japan: A first assessement on the relief tasks after the earthquake/tsunami and nuclear disasters

– March 20 Northeastern NTUC message: A trade-union message from Japan : “Our situation and requests to our friends”

More will added as soon as possible.

You can send donations via Europe solidaire sans frontières (ESSF), Europe in Solidarity Without Borders :

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