On July 7th, to express solidarity with the Chinese workers who are waging strike at Honda factory in China, we, Japanese fighting unions, workers and students, with Doro-Chiba (National Railway Motive Power Union of Chiba) at the head, will rise up for a protest action against the headquarters of Honda Company in Tokyo. We call on all of you to join us in our solidarity action to amplify the protest.
On May 17th, young workers at Nanhai Honda factory in Foshan, Guangdong province in China went on strike, calling out “No more low wages! We can’t live! ”. 1700 out of 1900 employees of this factory are in their twenties and they began raising angry voices.
In April 2010, Honda boasted in its advertisement that it set all-time fiscal year records for production, sales and export of automobile in Asia, including China, while even the regular workers at Honda in China take home 1,500 yuan (US$ 220) a month on average, including overtime allowances. “Intern workers”, who are students recruited from technical schools in local districts, earn as little as 900 yuan (US$ 130).
This strike drove the factory of Chinese Honda for finished cars into shutdown. The result of the strike: the Honda workers of Nanhai factory have got a 33％ of wage hike. The struggle has spread out to other Japanese companies like Toyota, also to foreign-affiliated companies like Taiwanese and Korean ones: The strike actions are expanding even now.
A series of strike actions in Chinese Honda factories is being fought by young workers who are born in the 80s and the 90s. They are trying not only to gain wide wage hike but also to get back genuine labor unions to their own hands, through resisting the existing labor unions (“General Union” that has been exercising Stalinist control over workers), organizing themselves and reorganizing “General Union”. (The point is to run their own union with their own executives that are to be elected by its members.)
Since the 80s, capitalist countries have been rushing into China in search of cheap labor force and extensive market for their desperate survival. As a decisive power to crush this neo-liberal effort of capitals, Chinese young workers have finally begun to rise in revolt under the global economic crisis.
In Brazil, workers rallying round Conlutas are fighting against Lula administration, organizing revolutionary trends. In China, the revolt of working class has been launched, inheriting and even surpassing the 1989 struggle at Tiananmen Square in its power. Upsurge of class struggle flaring up in these BRICs countries announces the end of capitalism.
Workers all over the world are now vigorously rising up for general strikes, raising their angry voices: “Let us workers live!”, “Power to the workers!” Workers belong to a class that fights in unity against a common enemy, capitalist class, beyond borders.
Here in Japan, a new nation-wide movement has been launched, initiated by Doro-Chiba to fight back an outrageous attack to liquidate the 23 years’ struggle of 1047 dismissed national railway workers against the Division and Privatization of Japan National Railway, a Japanese edition of neo-liberal offensive. The slogan of the movement is: “Don’t put off the fire of national railway workers’ struggle!” “Revive militant labor unions now!”
Let’s stand up for international solidarity action with Chinese working class, above all young workers! We call on all working people of the world to protest against Honda capital together with our protest action to the headquarters of Honda Corporation on July 7th in Tokyo.
Immediately withdraw the dismissal of 2 labor leaders of Honda Foshan factory!
Workers of the whole world, unite! Let’s fight together!
National Railway Motive Power Union of Chiba (Doro-Chiba)
National Coordinating Center of Labor Unions (NCCLU)
All-Japan Federation of Student Autonomous Bodies (Zengakuren)
