The Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) has decided that for the first time ever it will not display specific policy slogans at its main May Day rally, a Rengo official said Saturday.
Rengo, Japan's largest labor union group, will stage May Day rallies across Japan on May 1, during the Golden Week holidays. The main meeting will be held in Tokyo.
Some Rengo officials are critical of the decision to drop the policy slogans amid rising concern over problems such as revisions to the labor standards law, increasing unemployment and peace issues.
"How can we spell out Rengo's message in front of thousands of people gathering for rallies without putting up concrete policy slogans?" a senior Rengo official asked.
Last year, Rengo displayed policy slogans opposing restructuring, supporting improved work environments for part-time workers and asking for policy changes in the government of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, demanding "peace, human rights, labor and the environment."
This year, Rengo will only display its main slogans of "peace, human rights, the environment, labor and co-existence," rather than detailed policy slogans.
"We would not be able to obtain the understanding of people other than Rengo members if we continued to have an aggressive style, raising our fists at May Day rallies," another Rengo official said.