UNION LEADER ON OZAWA, PENSIONS, BASE STRIKES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 005620

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STATE FOR EAP/J
DOL FOR ILAB
SECDEF FOR DOD/OSD/APSA/SHINN/SEDNEY/HILL/BASAL
USFJ FOR J00/J01/J1/J5
PACOM FOR J00/J01/J1/J5

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/19/2017
TAGS: ELAB ECON PGOV JA
SUBJECT: UNION LEADER ON OZAWA, PENSIONS, BASE STRIKES


Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Joseph Donovan for reasons 1.4 b
/d.

Summary
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1. (C) Japanese Trade Union Confederation President Tsuyoshi
Takagi told the Ambassador December 19 that opposition
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) leader Ozawa is not
anti-American and that Ozawa's decision to oppose Japan's
Indian Ocean refueling activities was primarily driven by
political timing. Takagi emphasized the importance of
resolving the problem of millions of missing pension records
as a political issue as well as a labor concern, adding Ozawa
would be cooperative if the Fukuda government sought to
resolve the pension matter in the Diet. Takagi also noted he
had agreed to PM Fukuda's request to participate in a
national conference on social security issues. Takagi
expressed frustration with the Ministry of Finance's (MOF)
unhelpfulness on host nation support matters, blaming the MOF
for the recent two-day strike by workers at U.S. military
bases. As a side note, Takagi mentioned the Japanese Auto
Workers (JAW) are in discussions with the United Auto Workers
(UAW) about how to foster unionization at Japanese car
makers' factories in the United States. End summary.

Ozawa is Not Anti-American
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2. (U) Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) President
Tsuyoshi Takagi made a courtesy call on the Ambassador

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December 19 accompanied Rengo General Secretary Nobuaki Koga
and International Division Director Masayuki Shiota. Rengo
re-elected Takagi president October 12 during the union
group's national congress.


3. (C) The Ambassador opened noting Rengo's links with the
DPJ and asked about DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa's political
priorities, particularly his opposition to Japan's Indian
Ocean refueling activities. Takagi responded he had known
Ozawa for many years and emphasized the DPJ leader is not
anti-American. "In all of our conversations, I've never
thought that he was against the United States," Takagi said.
Ozawa's choice to use refueling as a way to differentiate his
party was driven primarily by political timing. Former PM
Abe, he explained, had stayed on after his party's loss in
July's Upper House election instead of resigning; focusing on
refueling was a way for the DPJ to draw the electorate's
attention to the issue of collective defense.

Pensions Remain a Key Issue
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4. (C) Asked why Ozawa had not focused on pension issues and
what that meant about the issue's importance, Takagi stressed
the GOJ's loss of millions of pension records is a major
worry for Japanese workers. Takagi stated Ozawa had always
said he would work to improve the pension system, but that
any discussions had to occur in the Diet. PM Fukuda even
asked Takagi to persuade Ozawa to get involved in pension
discussions, but, as expected, when Takagi conveyed Fukuda's
request Ozawa just smiled and said he would "within the
framework of the Diet."


5. (C) Takagi also revealed that PM Fukuda had asked him to
participate in a national conference on social issues, which
would tackle pensions among other concerns. Takagi said he
had resisted initially because the possibility of near-term
elections means discussions will be highly politicized. When
Fukuda asked the third time, however, Takagi decided that
pension matter is so important that he should participate.
He lamented that the Nikkei newspaper had spun his assent to
join as his being turned to agree to the Fukuda government's
viewpoint.

TOKYO 00005620 002 OF 002



Strikes on U.S. Bases
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6. (C) Takagi complained the Ministry of Finance had been
combative and unconstructive on host nation support and had
refused to share basic budget information to help negotiators
move toward a new contract. The recent labor strikes at U.S.
military bases were the result of MOF intransigence, Takagi
continued. He said he had spoken to PM Fukuda, Chief Cabinet
Secretary Machimura, and Defense Minster Ishiba, who had all

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expressed the intent to resolve the dispute, but that even
then the Finance Ministry had remained obstructive.


7. (C) In contrast, Takagi said he had heard from union
management that their meetings at the Embassy had been
constructive. Takagi noted he had originally thought of
appealing directly to the Ambassador about the union's
situation on U.S. bases, but realized the workers' employer
is the Ministry of Defense and therefore decided against
calling. Noting the importance labor issues and of keeping
lines of communication open, the Ambassador invited Takagi to
reach out periodically.

Union Organizing in the United States
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8. (C) As a side note, Takagi said he had been in Washington
the week of December 11 to meet with AFL-CIO and other union
leaders. He mentioned UAW President Ron Gettelfinger had
asked him to cooperate in unionizing Japanese car makers'
factories in the United States and that the Japanese Auto
Workers Union is in discussions with the UAW towards that
goal.

SCHIEFFER