Masaomi AKIYAMA

July 25, 2026, Tokyo

On the occasion of the 33rd Regular Convention, I, President Akiyama, would like to extend greetings on behalf of the Executive Committee.

First, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all convention participants, especially the delegates who have gathered here today. I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to our distinguished guests who have taken time out of their very busy schedules to join us and offer their encouragement. Thank you very much.

Now, since our last convention 2 years ago, three national elections have been held: two general elections and a House of Councilors election. Do you all remember what things were like around the time of our last convention?

July of the year before last was the month when the new 10,000-yen bill, featuring a portrait of Eiichi Shibusawa, began circulating. Just the other day, Shohei Ohtani—who recently hit his 300th career home run in Major League Baseball—hit his 200th career home run in July of the year before last.

There was also the Tokyo gubernatorial election. Renho, whom we supported, lost, and Yuriko Koike was elected, but it was an election marked by the so-called “Ishimaru phenomenon.” Incidentally, two years ago today, on July 25, the recommendation for the minimum wage was announced by the minimum wage central commission. It was made to raise by 50 yen.  It was also the day heavy rains caused damage in Yamagata and Akita prefectures.

Fumio Kishida was Prime Minister at the time, but the July 25 edition of the Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported that Shigeru Ishiba had decided to run in the LDP presidential election.

After the convention, in October, Ishiba took over as president of LDP, and a general election was held. Last July saw the House of Councilors election, followed by the inauguration of Prime Minister Takaichi in October. This year, the Diet was dissolved in January, and a general election was held in February, in which the LDP secured more than two-thirds of the seats on its own, bringing us to where we are today.

Amid these rapidly changing circumstances, our National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) has continued to fight tirelessly and boldly.

Through these struggles, we have achieved significant progress, particularly in wage increases. Zenroren has advocated for a nationwide uniform minimum wage and a substantial increase based on a cost-of-living survey. Thanks to the tireless efforts of members in prefectural federations, we have secured wage increases that far exceed the central government’s recommendation.

This momentum has carried over into the spring wage negotiations, leading to substantial wage increases for three consecutive years. These wage increases are the result of our struggle. Let us be confident in this fact and vigorously advocate in our workplaces that it is precisely because of our labor unions that our demands have made progress.

This year’s fight for a minimum wage increase is finally entering its decisive phase. Although the government’s target date for achieving its goal has been pushed back to the early 2030s, the goal itself has not disappeared. On the contrary, concerns about rising prices are growing, and the need for a substantial wage increase is becoming even more urgent. At the same time, we must not allow a postponement of the implementation date, as happened last year. Let us fight hard right up to the very end to secure a substantial increase.

Although the session of the Extraordinary Diet has been extended, the ruling coalition—comprising the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party—has continued to conduct Diet proceedings in a high-handed manner. Not only that, but weren’t the responses from Cabinet members, led by Prime Minister Takaichi, simply appalling? Prime Minister Takaichi had stated that she would substitute a written statement from a secretary at her local office for her own response, and that statement has finally been released. However, its contents do nothing to dispel the suspicions. To begin with, I believe it is unthinkable to substitute a response with a secretary’s written statement. Furthermore, during questioning in a House of Councilors committee, Defense Minister Koizumi responded to a question posed by Representative Yamazoe of the Japanese Communist Party by mockingly remarking, “The Communist Party really loves missiles.” Beyond this, I am simply appalled by the numerous instances of shifting the focus of the debate and evading the issues. Moreover, the way the Diet is being run—using sheer numerical superiority to stifle the opposition’s views—can only be described as abnormal.

Furthermore, they have enacted the National Flag Desecration Act—which does not meet the standards of a proper law and is strongly suspected of being unconstitutional—and amended the Imperial House Law, while forcing through deliberations on the “Second Capital” bill to extend the Diet session.

The ruling party aims to pass a bill to reduce the number of proportional representation seats in the House of Representatives during the extraordinary Diet session this fall. To begin with, the electoral system and the number of seats should be debated with the participation of all political parties; for the ruling party to change them by relying on its numerical superiority clearly favors the ruling party. 

Regarding the issue involving the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly, which has been widely reported in recent days, it seems to me that the assembly has lost the checks and balances it is supposed to provide. I believe this is because there is no proper opposition party. We must do everything in our power to block the bill to reduce the number of proportional representation seats in the House of Representatives, as it will lead to the elimination of seats held by a proper opposition party.

It has been approximately five months since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Even after a so-called ceasefire agreement was announced, the exchange of attacks has continued, and hostilities persist. Above all, a ceasefire must be achieved. We strongly urge the Japanese government to make diplomatic efforts toward securing a ceasefire.

Meanwhile, on July 16, it was reported that the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force conducted mine-sweeping drills in preparation for a potential deployment. Moves to prepare for the post-conflict period have already begun.

The Strait of Hormuz is a vital route for Japan’s crude oil imports. According to resource and energy statistics from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, crude oil imports from the Middle East in May of this year were approximately half of the previous year’s level. Overall, crude oil imports are at about 60 percent of last year’s level.

Given the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran, there is no prospect of an increase in crude oil imports from the Middle East. According to statistics from Tokyo Shoko Research, “high inflation”-related bankruptcies accounted for the largest share of bankruptcies in the first half of 2026, driven by rising prices—caused by a weak yen and supply shortages of naphtha and other materials—which led to widespread inflation. The number of such bankruptcies is expected to continue rising.

What politicians must do now is implement economic measures to protect the livelihoods of the people. If rising prices are compounded by shortages of materials, business conditions will deteriorate, which could have a negative impact on wage increases and other issues.

Starting this fall, preparations will begin for next spring’s wage negotiations. Let’s compile the demands of all union members through a survey and move forward with preparations to make them a reality.

Zenroren has been making organizational expansion its top priority during this period. If labor unions disappear from workplaces, it will be extremely difficult to establish new unions there. Above all, we must ensure that labor unions do not vanish from workplaces and pass this legacy on to the next generation. To that end, we must clearly demonstrate the presence of labor unions in the workplace and increase the number of members working alongside us. The next two years will be a critical juncture for organizational expansion. Let us do our utmost to ensure that unions do not disappear from our workplaces.

Finally, I must share our vision for the future. “Once you hold a tile, you don’t let go” is a golden rule of mahjong, but in the labor union movement, we must communicate a “vision” for our efforts to our members. 

Zenroren was founded in 1989 and has been thoroughly ignored by the government and the business community.

However, through our tenacious struggle, we have secured observer status at the annual ILO Conference as an observers and won seats for worker representatives on the Central Labor Relations Commission. Through these achievements, our social recognition has grown, and the name “Zenroren” is now routinely featured in the mainstreaming media. Furthermore, a forum for regular consultations with the government regarding the fundamental labor rights of public servants has been established.

I believe that it is precisely because we are fighting so hard for workers that our standing continues to improve. Therefore, there is no doubt that, with your support, we will achieve organizational growth and make progress on Zenroren’s demands.

To all sisters and brother here today: Let us redouble our efforts toward a society where everyone can continue to work with peace of mind. With that call to action, I conclude my opening remarks.

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