JILAF | Japan International Labour Foundation

Central and South America Team

JILAF invited 10 persons from nine national center organizations in seven Central and South American countries to visit Japan from December 4 to 15.

In the labour-related lectures, the participants learned about the role and issues of trade unions and labour legislation in Japan and acquired basic knowledge of the Japanese labour movement. After that, they visited various labour-related organizations and, in light of the knowledge acquired in the lectures, studied such topics as (1) the organizational outline and campaign policy of RENGO (Japanese Trade Union Confederation); (2) labour administration efforts at the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare; (3) the efforts of an industrial labour organization to improve working conditions, as well as its policy system and political activities; (4) the productivity movement in Japan and the role of unions; (5) the activities of a local RENGO; and (6) the organization of labour banks and their relationship with unions.

The participants made such comments as “There is no setup like the labour banks in my country, but establishing such bodies would be very meaningful” and “In Brazil we have been repeating trial-and-error efforts to establish an organization like the labour banks, but as yet to no avail. After my return, I would like to make efforts toward its realization in cooperation with JILAF.”

In Hiroshima, the participants visited the Peace Memorial Museum and Atomic Bomb Dome. This visit to Hiroshima was included in the program to enable the participants to feel the importance of peace by observing one of the bombed areas in Japan, the only country in the world to have experienced atomic bombing, with their own eyes. The participants made such comments as “I want to tell many people about my experience in Hiroshima and convey to them how foolish it is to possess nuclear weapons.” Such comments are evidence that JILAF is fulfilling its responsibility as an organization founded by labour unions.

The program ended with a discussion between the participants and JILAF President Tsuyoshi Takagi, in which the participants aired their opinions of the two-week program and confirmed the importance of international solidarity efforts.

List of Organization That Cooperated in the Visit

■	RENGO Kochi	■	Kochi Prefectural Government Office
■	Kochi City Government Office	■	Harigi Water Purification Plant
■	Hello Work Kochi	■	Denki Rengo (Japanese Electrical, Electronic, and Information Union)
■	Fuji Electric Co., Ltd., Kawasaki Factory	■	Fuji Electric Union, Kawasaki Branch
■	National Association of Labour Banks
Many thanks to everyone.

Central and South America Team Participants

Confederacion General del Trabajo de la Republica Argentina (CGT)

1.	Name	：	Mr. Eduardo Omar Cabello Gonzalez
	Name of organization	：	Union Obrera de la Construccion de la Republica Argentina
	Position	：	Secretario General, Vocal Titular 4 de CGT
	Union experience	：	24

Força Sindical (FS)

2.	Name	：	Mr. Rodrigo Alves Carvelo
	Name of organization	：	Forca Sindical(FS) Goias
	Position	：	Presidente de Forca Sindical del Estado de Goias, Miembro de la Direccion Nacional de Forca Sindical
	Union experience	：	7

Uniao Geral dos Trabalhadores (UGT)

3.	Name	：	Mr. Leocides Fornazza
	Name of organization	：	Sindicato dos Empregados no Comercio de Maringa
	Position	：	Diretor Presidente
	Union experience	：	10

Central Unitaria de Trabajadores de Chile (CUT)

4.	Name	：	Mr. Juan Antonio Moreno Gamboa
	Name of organization	：	Sindicato Inteｒempresas de Trabajadores de Supermercados Lideｒ
	Position	：	Presidente
	Union experience	：	7

Central Unitaria de Trabajadores de Chile (CUT)

5.	Name	：	Ms. karen Francisca Palma Tapia
	Name of organization	：	Federacion Metropolitana de Trabajadores de lo Salud Cut Zonal Oriente
	Position	：	Secretaria de Organizaciones
	Union experience	：	5

Confederacion de Trabajadores de Colombia (CTC)

6.	Name	：	Ms. Aida Teresa Garzon Urrea
	Name of organization	：	Asociacion Colombiana de Empleados Bancarios (ACEB)
	Position	：	Vice Presidenta Seccional Bogota, Miembro Junta Nacional
	Union experience	：	15

Confederacion Nacional de Unidad Sindical (CNUS)

7.	Name	：	Ms. Jacqueline Rosario Hernandez Sanchez
	Name of organization	：	Confederacion Nacional de Unidad Sindical (CNUS)
	Position	：	Secretaria General Adjunta, Coordinadora Alterna del Departamento de Equidad de Genero
	Union experience	：	18

Confederación de Trabajadores de México (CTM)

8.	Name	：	Ms. Maura Patricia Hernandez Tapia
	Name of organization	：	Confederacion de Trabajadores de Mexico (CTM)
	Position	：	Secretaria de Accion Politica del Comite Nacional
	Union experience	：	8

Unión Nacional de Trabajadores (UNT)

9.	Name	：	Mr. Armando Garcia Gonzalez
	Name of organization	：	Sindicato de Telefonistas de la Republica Mexicana (STRM)
	Position	：	Presidente de la Comision Nacional Autonoma de Honor y Justicia del STRM
	Union experience	：	14

Confederacion de Trabajadores de Venezuela (CTV)

10.	Name	：	Mr. Alejandro Sanchez Camacaro
	Name of organization	：	Federacion de Trabajadores de　la Construccion, Madera, Conexos y Similares
	Position	：	Presidente de la Comision Electoral,Asesor del Departamento de Educacion, Tutor de Formacion
	Union experience	：	10

Photos of Participants

Scene of labour-related lecture	Learning about gender equality at the RENGO Headquarters	Learning about labour administration at the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare
Learning about the productivity movement at the Japan Productivity Center	Reporting on the labour situation in their own countries in the “Exchange of Views on Labour Situation” meeting	A participant from Chile talks about the labour situation in his country.
Learning about the preciousness of peace in Hiroshima	Discussion with RENGO Kochi executives	Discussion with Denki Rengo
Greetings by Denki Rengo Chairman Shoji Arino	Discussion with union executives at the Kawasaki Factory of Fuji Electric	Learning about the efforts of labour banks

Invitation Program

Main Program