Am 23. September findet in Fukushima eine japanweite Demonstration von LehrerInnen gegen Atomkraft statt. Außerdem wollen sie eine klassenkämpferische Arbeiterbewegung in Japan aufbauen und stärken. Wir dokumentieren an dieser Stelle ihren Aufruf auf englisch und haben als klassenkämpferischer Block eine Solidaritäts-Grußbotschaft an die Demonstration verfasst, die wir ebenfals weiter unten dokumentieren.
Aufruf zur Demonstration:
Abolish all nuclear plants immediately!
Build unity and solidarity to protect lives and future of our children!
Revitalize the Japan Teachers Union to get back militant action agenda!
Get together in Fukushima and build up a nationwide network of teachers’ unions to fight against neo-liberalism!
September 23 Nationwide Education Workers’ Rally in Fukushima
Brothers and sisters of all education workers in Fukushima and across the nation!
Six months have passed since the outbreak of an unprecedented catastrophe of March 11 East Japan Earthquake and subsequent nuclear disaster. Still some five thousand people are missing and hundred thousand evacuees have no place to settle. A huge amount of deadly fallout that is dozens of times larger than that produced by an atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima has been released over Fukushima and the East Japan area to the whole world. Radioactive materials are still now being emitted endlessly from the wrecked reactors. What happened in Fukushima is nothing but “the third atomic bombing”. We are experiencing the worst catastrophe ever in the human history. Having put us in greater danger, the situation is intensifying its severity.
It is clear that the new subsequent Democratic government, far-right Noda administration, will push ahead with its policy to promote nuclear plants and execute privatization, outsourcing and casualization to the extremity under the name of “reconstruction”. Using bribed scholars to defend their affirmation, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXST) and board of educations still conceal the truth and force us the idea that the level of radiation is safe and does not pose a health risk. The government is attempting to simmer down the public anger. However, the irreconcilable difference between such a corrupted government and the working class people is expected to reach the limit which would develop to a massive struggle to fundamentally change the society.
On August 5, on the eve of 66th anniversary of A-bombing, we declared at the birthplace of anti-nuke movement, Hiroshima, to rise up for a fresh struggle to abolish immediately all nuclear plants and protect the lives of our children by combined anger of Fukushima. We proceed our new movement, the “National Conference to Abolish All Nuclear Plants Immediately” (NAZEN, for short), and the “Nationwide Movement of National Railway Struggle” to build up a nationwide network of education workers’ unions to fight back against neo-liberalism.
To mark a first step toward our purpose, we are going to hold a nationwide education workers’ rally in Fukushima. We firmly determined to share anger and struggles of Fukushima people to revitalize the fighting Japan Teachers Union (JTU). Now is the time!
On April 20, the Fukushima Prefecture Teachers’ Union issued an appeal “Protect Children from Radiation Health Damage” (ref; http://dorochibanewsletter.wordpress.com/ Doro-Chiba Newsletter No.18). Addition to that, on April 26, it submitted the statement of claim to the Fukushima Board of Education. We are profoundly impacted and encouraged that the education workers rose up in the “battlefield” to protest as a labor union against the neo-liberal policy.
We issued an appeal “2011 May Day Appeal of Education Workers Caucus of National Coordinating Center of Labor Unions” (ref; http://dorochibanewsletter.wordpress.com/ Doro-Chiba Newsletter No.18) at the May Day Rally this year to call for the resolution to repeal MEXST’s notification that set 20mSv/y as the upper limit of radiation levels for school children. Each of our education workers strived hard at his/her union conference to discuss about the radiation matter of Fukushima and consistently has been appealing to colleagues to rise up for the abolishment of nuclear plants. We started the campaign to collect signatures and have been fighting in the forefront of the movement to protest against nuclear plants. We thought it the best thing to fight at every work place to build solidarity with the Fukushima Prefectural Teachers’ Union.
The nuclear disaster revealed many evil facts. The most dreadful thing is that the MEXST who should protect the lives of children has been the main player of promoting nuclear energy. It is forcing teachers to educate students by using a booklet which tells the importance of nuclear energy for the reduction of carbon dioxide. This is called an “environmental education” and was introduced in 2002 as a part of the curriculum.
Moreover, we are quite upset about the fact that the JTU leaders have been taking the part in promoting nuclear policy with the government under their fundamental policy of “partnership with MEXT”. We can never accept it. The JTU issued a statement on the earthquake without any word opposing nuclear power plants whatsoever. The leaders of the JTU has never mentioned huge nuclear budget even when they timidly demanded increase of education budget to reform overcrowded classes. The JTU is no different than the Power Industry Union who sticks to pro-nukes position. The major supporter of nuclear plant construction was and is union bosses of Rengo (Japanese Trade Union Confederation) and the leadership of JTU is included in them.
We see the fundamental power of revitalizing labor union in the struggle of rank & file members of Fukushima Prefecture Teachers’ Union who are striving hard to protect children and in order to live themselves through in the awfully hard and bitter situation. All the members of JTU should support them and never ever drive them into isolation. We shall be united in our efforts to protest against nuclear plants and rise up for the struggle to protect our children. This is the way to get back the militant action agenda of the JTU movement under the slogan of “Never send our students to the battlefield again!”
We expect all education workers of Fukushima to participate in our rally.
August 28, 2011
Steering Committee of “September 23 Nationwide Education Workers’ Rally in Fukushima”
Solidaritäts-Grußbotschaft vom klassenkämpferischen Block:
Solidaritätsadresse an die Teilnehmer der Demonstration am 23. September 2011 in Fukushima
Wir, der Klassenkämpferische Block aus Berlin, sind eine Initiative aus Gewerkschaftsaktivistinnen und –aktivisten, linken Gruppen und Einzelpersonen. Wir sind auch Mitveranstalter der alljährlichen revolutionären 1.Mai-Demonstration in Berlin. Darüber hinaus versuchen wir, Klassenkämpfe innerhalb und ausserhalb der Betriebe zu vernetzen. Wir haben die Kollegen des Internationalen Arbeitersolidaritätskomitees von Doro Chiba bei ihrer diesjährigen Rundreise in Berlin kennengelernt und dabei auch vom Kampf der Lehrer, Eltern und Schüler in Fukushima erfahren. Wir wissen, dass die Interessen der Arbeiterinnen und Arbeiter nur gemeinsam iminternationalen Kampf durchgesetzt werden können.
Wir senden herzliche Grüsse der Solidarität aus Deutschland und wünschen euch viel Erfolg im Kampf gegen die Atommafia und den Kapitalismus.
Lasst uns viele Kontakte miteinander schliessen und uns international vernetzen.
Klassenkämpferischer Block
Berlin, den 12.9.2011
https://klassenkampf.noblogs.org
klassenkampfblock@gmx.net