Japanese base strikes are rescheduled

[unhappycamper]

Japanese base strikes are rescheduled
Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Sunday, December 16, 2007

A series of all-day strikes by Japanese base workers planned for Monday through Wednesday was rescheduled to Wednesday through Friday, the Zenchuro labor union said Friday.

Although no significant progress was made during negotiations Friday between the union and the Ministry of Defense, both agreed to continue the talks over the weekend, said Tsuneo Teruya, secretary-general of the union’s headquarters in Tokyo. If no acceptable settlement is made, the union plans to hold the relay strike starting Wednesday on Okinawa, he said. On Thursday and Friday, the strikes will move to bases on mainland Japan.

The strike also is being postponed to accommodate a ceremony scheduled at Camp Zama on Wednesday to mark the creation of I Corps’ new forward headquarters element at Zama.

“The strike is not against the military. It is an intention of the union to minimize the impact on operations of the military,” he said.

The union is fighting a proposal made by the defense ministry to abolish Japanese workers’ allowances, which make up about 10 percent of their monthly paychecks. The union held two strikes in November.


Article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=51010