Activity reports
FY2015FY: Japanese Fiscal Year. from April to March
- Field Project（2016.02.13〜2016.02.18）
SGRA Project in Laos (December)
A JILAF delegation visited the Lao capital of Vientiane and the southern province of Savannakhet from December 13 (Sunday) to 18 (Friday) for the SGRA project (Supporting Grass-Roots Activities through the International Employers’ and Workers’ Network), which is being conducted with grants from the Japanese government (Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare).
- Field Project（2016.01.21〜2016.01.25）
SGRA Project in Thailand (January)
A JILAF delegation visited the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai from January 21 (Thursday) to 25 (Monday) for the SGRA project (Supporting Grass-Roots Activities through the International Employers’ and Workers’ Network), which JILAF is implementing with grants from the Japanese government (Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare).
- Field Project（2016.01.18〜2016.01.20）
SGRA Project in Laos (January)
A JILAF delegation visited the Lao capital of Vientiane from January 18 (Monday) to 20 (Wednesday) for the SGRA project (Supporting Grass-Roots Activities through the International Employers’ and Workers’ Network), which JILAF is implementing with grants from the Japanese government (Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare). The third meeting of the Central Promotion Committee and a national workshop were held during this period.
- Invitation（2016.01.17〜2016.01.30）
Central and South America Team
JILAF invited 12 trade union leaders (including 6 women) from seven countries (Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, and Uruguay) to visit Japan from January 17 to 30, 2016.
- Field Project（2016.01.11〜2016.01.15）
SGRA Project in Bangladesh (January)
A JILAF delegation visited the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka from January 11 (Monday) to 15 (Friday) to hold a workshop jointly with the International Labour Organization (ILO) for the SGRA project (Supporting Grass-Roots Activities through the International Employers’ and Workers’ Network), which is being conducted with grants from the Japanese government (Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare).
- Field Project（2015.12.07〜2015.12.08）
Industrial Relations and Labour Policy Seminar in Vietnam
JILAF, together with the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL), held a two-day industrial relations and labour policy seminar in Hanoi, Vietnam, on December 7–8.
- Field Project（2015.12.06〜2015.12.07）
Industrial Relations and Labour Policy Seminar in Nepal
JILAF held a two-day seminar on industrial relations and labour policy in Kathmandu, Nepal, on December 6–7 for the Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC), the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), and the All Nepal Trade Union Federation (ANTUF), which are all affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
- Invitation（2015.11.29〜2015.12.12）
Middle East and Northern Africa Team
JILAF invited a total of 11 persons (including 4 women) from the Middle East and Northern Africa to visit Japan from November 29 to December 12.
- Field Project（2015.11.28〜2015.11.29）
Industrial Relations and Labour Policy Seminar in Myanmar
JILAF, together with the Confederation of Trade Unions of Myanmar (CTUM), held a two-day industrial relations and labour policy seminar in Yangon, Myanmar, on November 28 and 29. It had been expected that 50 people would attend the seminar, but in the end a total of 104 people turned up, including not only CTUM officials but also representatives of the government and employers.
- Field Project（2015.11.25〜2015.11.28）
JILAF/ILO Joint Multinational Seminar
JILAF and the Bureau for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV) of the International Labour Organization (ILO) jointly held a multinational seminar in the Thai capital of Bangkok for four days from November 25 to 28 on the main theme of “Globalization, Economic Integration, and the Role of Trade Unions: Toward Employment Stability, the Prevention of Industrial Disputes, Etc. through the Building of Constructive Industrial Relations.”
- Field Project（2015.11.19〜2015.11.20）
Industrial Relations and Labour Policy Seminar in Bangladesh
JILAF, recognizing the importance of building sound industrial relations and strengthening the labour movement (through the expansion of organization and so on) in order to protect the rights of workers and thereby achieve employment stability and social and economic development in Bangladesh, held a two-day industrial relations and labour policy seminar in the capital city of Dhaka on November 19 and 20 jointly with the Bangladesh Council of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-BC).
- Field Project（2015.11.13〜2015.11.18）
SGRA Project in Thailand (November)
JILAF visited the Thai capital of Bangkok and Surat Thani in southern Thailand from November 13 (Friday) to 18 (Wednesday) for meetings and seminars related to the SGRA project (Supporting Grass-Roots Activities through the International Employers’ and Workers’ Network), which is being implemented with subsidies from the Japanese government (Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare).
- Invitation（2015.11.08〜2015.11.21）
JILAF invited eight trade union leaders (including two women) from five countries and one territory (East Timor, Fiji, India, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka) to visit Japan from November 8 to 21 as the Asia-Pacific Team.
- Field Project（2015.11.04〜2015.11.05）
Industrial Relations and Labour Policy Seminar in Indonesia
JILAF, together with the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (CITU), held a two-day industrial relations and labour policy seminar in the city of Bekasi in West Java, Indonesia, on November 4–5.
- Field Project（2015.10.25）
SGRA Project in Bangladesh (October)
On October 25 JILAF held the 2nd Central Roundtable Meeting and the 3rd Central Working Group Meeting in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from the perspective of improving and uplifting the livelihoods of local network members (informal-sector workers and their families who do not receive public support) and further strengthening independent and autonomous project management by the Bangladeshi government, labour, and management and the International Labour Organization (ILO).
- Invitation（2015.10.18〜2015.10.31）
JILAF invited 10 trade union leaders (including 5 women) from eight English-speaking African countries (Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) to visit Japan from October 18 to 31, 2015.
- Field Project（2015.10.13〜2015.10.14）
Industrial Relations and Labour Policy Seminar in Sri Lanka
JILAF, together with the Asia-Pacific regional organization of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-AP), held a two-day industrial relations and labour policy seminar in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on October 13–14 for leaders of the three organizations in Sri Lanka affiliated with the ITUC-AP, namely, the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC), National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), and Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya (SLNSS).
- Invitation（2015.10.12〜2015.10.17）
JILAF invited a total of six persons from three countries (two each from China, South Korea, and Vietnam, including three women) to visit Japan as a reinvitation team for six days from October 12 to 17, 2015.
- General Information（2015.10.06〜2015.10.07）
RENGO (Japanese Trade Union Confederation) held its 14th Biennial Convention at the Tokyo International Forum on October 6–7 under the slogan “Stop the stratified society! Let’s build a secure society through the solidarity of all workers!” About 1,600 union members from affiliated organizations participated.
- Field Project（2015.10.01）
SGRA Project in Laos (October)
JILAF is implementing the SGRA project (Supporting Grass-Roots Activities through the International Employers’ and Workers’ Network) in Laos from the current fiscal year, and on October 1 it held the second meeting of the central Promotion Committee (PC), which consists of representatives of the central government, labour, and management in Laos and JILAF. In the meeting, the participants confirmed the progress, results, and achievements of the project so far and held policy discussions for the project’s development from now on.
- Invitation（2015.09.27〜2015.10.06）
JILAF invited 11 senior officials (including one woman) of the National Union of Afghanistan’s Workers and Employees (NUAWE) to visit Japan for 10 days from September 27 to October 6, 2015.
- Field Project（2015.09.26〜2015.09.30）
SGRA Project in Nepal (September)
JILAF dispatched a delegation to the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu from September 24 (Thursday) to 30 (Wednesday) and held meetings relating to the SGRA project (Supporting Grass-Roots Activities through the International Employers’ and Workers’ Network), which is being implemented with grants from the Japanese government (Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare).
- Field Project（2015.09.06〜2015.09.07）
Industrial Relations and Labour Policy Seminar in Pakistan
JILAF, together with the Pakistan Workers’ Federation (PWF), held an industrial relations and labour policy seminar titled “Globalization and the Building of Sound Industrial Relations” in Islamabad on September 6–7.
- Invitation（2015.08.30〜2015.09.12）
JILAF invited 12 people from Laos and Vietnam to visit Japan from August 30 to September 12, 2015. Because there are so many differences between these two countries and Japan in terms of political setup (they are socialist countries) and the structure of trade unions, and because the participants from these two countries had similar interests, overall they participated actively in the two-week program.
- Field Project（2015.08.19〜2015.09.02）
JILAF, ITUC-AP, OTCI Jointly Hold 8th Youth Leadership Course (Multinational Seminar)
JILAF, together with the Asia-Pacific Regional Office of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-AP) and the Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute (OTCI), held the 8th Youth Leadership Course for 16 days from August 19 (Wednesday) to September 2 (Wednesday) in Singapore. This multinational seminar is commissioned by the Japanese government (Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare).
- Field Project（2015.08.17）
JILAF has been implementing the SGRA project (Supporting Grass-Roots Activities through the International Employers’ and Workers’ Network), which is subsidized by the Japanese government (Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare), successively in Thailand, Nepal, and Bangladesh since 2011 and has launched it in Laos as well from the current fiscal year.
- Field Project（2015.08.07〜2015.08.08）
Non-formal Schools for the Eradication of Child Labour in India---Opening of Guntur School---
On August 7–8 JILAF visited the Guntur School, which opened in June, to monitor the school’s management and other conditions. The following is a general outline of conditions there.
- Field Project（2015.08.06〜2015.08.07）
Industrial Relations and Labour Policy Seminar in Cambodia
JILAF, together with the Cambodian Council of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-CC), held a two-day industrial relations and labour policy seminar in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on August 6–7.
- Field Project（2015.07.31〜2015.08.03）
SGRA Project in Bangladesh (August)
In order to begin all of the vocational training programs stipulated in the fiscal 2015 SGRA (Supporting Grass-Roots Activities through the International Employers’ and Workers’ Network) project plan, JILAF attended commencement ceremonies for higher-level calico production training (18 persons, started July 30) and construction training (20 persons, started August 1) in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and for leather training (13 persons, started August 3) on the outskirts of Dhaka, giving encouragement to the network members.
- Invitation（2015.07.26〜2015.08.01）
JILAF invited five people (including three women) from three organizations in three countries to visit Japan from July 26 to August 1, 2015.
- Field Project（2015.07.18〜2015.07.19）
Industrial Relations and Labour Policy Seminar in Thailand
JILAF held a two-day industrial relations and labour policy seminar in Bangkok on July 18–19 together with the Thai Council of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-TC).
- Invitation（2015.07.05〜2015.07.18）
JILAF invited 11 trade union leaders (including 7 women) from seven countries (Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan) to visit Japan from July 5 to 18, 2015.
- General Information（2015.07.04〜2015.07.09）
Report on Survey of Disaster Conditions after Nepal Earthquake
From July 4 to 9 JILAF conducted a survey of disaster conditions centered on the capital of Kathmandu and directly handed over a donation collected from labour-related organizations and others in Japan to the NTUC.
- Field Project（2015.07.02〜2015.07.03）
JILAF has been implementing the SGRA project (Supporting Grass-Roots Activities through the International Employers’ and Workers’ Network), which is subsidized by the Japanese government (Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare), successively in Thailand, Nepal, and Bangladesh since 2011 and is launching it in Laos as well from the current fiscal year. On July 2 and 3 an Enlarged Working Committee (EWC) seminar was held in Laos with the purpose of training core human resources to play a central role in promoting the project and discussing specific activity plans (Life Support Seminars, establishment of mutual-aid organizations, etc.) in the two districts where the project is being implemented, namely, the capital of Vientiane and the southern province of Savannakhet.
- Field Project（2015.06.30〜2015.07.11）
SGRA Project in Nepal (June–July)
A JILAF delegation visited Nepal from June 30 (Tuesday) to July 11 (Saturday) for the SGRA project (Supporting Grass-Roots Activities through the International Employers’ and Workers’ Network), which is being subsidized by the Japanese government (Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare). The delegation visited the capital of Kathmandu and the three districts where the project is being implemented (Bhaktapur, Parsa, and Morang) for meetings, Life Support Seminars, and Training of Trainers seminars.
- Field Project（2015.06.30〜2015.07.01）
Industrial Relations and Labour Policy Seminar in Laos
JILAF, together with the Lao Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU), jointly held a two-day industrial relations and labour policy seminar in the Lao capital of Vientiane on June 30 and July 1.
- Field Project（2015.06.30〜2015.07.01）
Industrial Relations and Labour Policy Seminar in Mongolia
JILAF, together with the Confederation of Mongolian Trade Unions (CMTU), held a two-day industrial relations and labour policy seminar on June 30 and July 1.
- Field Project（2015.06.23〜2015.06.25）
JILAF is implementing the SGRA project (Supporting Grass-Roots Activities through the International Employers’ and Workers’ Network) under consignment from the Japanese government (Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare), and from this fiscal year Laos has been newly included as a target country. As a part of activities in Laos, the first meeting of the regional Savannakhet Working Committee (SWC) in the southern province of Savannakhet was held from June 23 (Tuesday) to 25 (Thursday).
- Invitation（2015.06.21〜2015.07.04）
JILAF invited 12 people (including 2 women) from four organizations in Myanmar and Cambodia to visit Japan from June 21 to July 4.
- Field Project（2015.06.11〜2015.06.13）
- Invitation（2015.06.07〜2015.06.16）
JILAF invited the Asia Youth Team to visit Japan from June 7 to 16. The team consisted of nine persons (including two women) from eight organizations in five countries (India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand).
- Field Project（2015.05.27〜2015.05.28）
Industrial Relations and Labour Policy Seminar in the Philippines
JILAF and the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) jointly held an industrial relations and labour policy seminar in Manila on May 27–28.
- Field Project（2015.05.17〜2015.05.21）
The SGRA project (Supporting Grass-Roots Activities through the International Employers’ and Workers’ Network), which is being subsidized by the Japanese government (Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare), has entered its fifth year. In addition to Bangladesh, Nepal, and Thailand, in the current fiscal year the project is being launched in Laos as well. A JILAF delegation visited Vientiane, the capital of Laos, from May 17 (Sunday) to 21 (Thursday) for consultations and coordination with local people involved in the project.
- Invitation（2015.05.17〜2015.05.30）
JILAF invited a total of 10 persons from China and Indonesia to visit Japan from May 17 to 30, 2015.
- Field Project（2015.05.11〜2015.05.12）
Industrial Relations and Labour Policy Seminar in India
JILAF, together with the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) and Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), held an industrial relations and labour policy seminar in Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, on May 11–12 with the participation of about 30 union leaders from those organizations.
- Field Project（2015.05.06）
SGRA Project in Bangladesh (May)
JILAF held the first meetings of the Central Promotion Assembly and the Central Working Committee in Dhaka on May 6, 2015, in order to confirm the specific content of activities in the SGRA (Supporting Grass-Roots Activities through the International Employers’ and Workers’ Network) project in the new fiscal year.
- General Information（2015.04.29）
RENGO Holds 86th May Day Central Rally
RENGO (Japanese Trade Union Confederation) held the 86th May Day Central Rally in Yoyogi Park, Tokyo, on April 29 with the participation of about 40,000 union members.
- Field Project（2015.04.23〜2015.04.27）
SGRA Project in Thailand (April)
The SGRA project (Supporting Grass-Roots Activities through the International Employers’ and Workers’ Network), which is implemented with a grant from the Japanese government (Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare), has entered its fifth year of activities. A JILAF delegation visited the Thai capital of Bangkok from April 23 (Thursday) to 27 (Monday) to hold discussions and coordinate with local people involved in the project.
- Field Project（2015.04.11）
NTUC and JILAF Hold Non-formal School Management Meeting
On April 11 the Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC) and JILAF held a school management meeting in Kathmandu for the nine non-formal schools that they are jointly operating across Nepal. About 40 teachers and school administrators participated in the meeting.
- Field Project（2015.04.09〜2015.04.16）
The SGRA project (Supporting Grass-Roots Activities through the International Employers’ and Workers’ Network), which has been implemented with grants from the Japanese government (Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare) since fiscal 2011, has entered its fifth year. On the occasion of the project’s start in the current fiscal year, JILAF dispatched a delegation to Kathmandu from April 9 (Thursday) to 16 (Thursday), to hold discussions and coordinate with local people involved in the project.