Statement on the Report

Released by the Aircraft and Railway Accidents Investigation Commission

 

   Today the Aircraft and Railway Accidents Investigation Commission, under the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry, released the “Railway Accident Analysis Report” on the train-derailed accident on Fukuchiyama line of JR West. The Commission attached an opinion in the report strictly criticizing the “management by the punitive reeducation program or discharged actions for train drivers of JR West” and its “operation-oriented” stance as the “related-factor” of the accident and urging the company to take measures to improve them. This opinion is just equal to what we, Japan Confederation of Railway Workers’ Unions (JRU) and West Japan Railway Workers’ Union (JRWU) have insisted on.

   While reports or suggestion the Commission issued so far were simply on the direct or technical causes of accidents, this report went as far as to point out the question of the background factor of the accident and JR West’s business attitude. This can be highly admired. The report validated our claim that we need accident prevention measures based on scientific investigation to clear up the cause including human error, which was brought up at the International Railway Safety Conference held in October, 1990 where we established our philosophy, “Do not blame workers, but investigate causes” and “To learn from accidents” as a lesson from the Higashi-Nakano Station accident of December, 1988.   

   Though it was a terrible railway accident which killed 107 and injured 562 (according to the Prefectural Police Headquarters), JR West has not tried to find the cause or achieve accountability, or hasn’t responded in a sincere manner to the bereaved and the injured. Besides that, shifting blame to the driver, now-dead Takami, as if he were the man to be charged, the management of JR West has concealed its operational responsibility. It is clear the accident was not just invited by the driver alone but was brought by the company, JR West. We express our indignation over the attitude of the management of JR West who switches blame on a worker. Remember the Shigaraki-Kogen Railway accident (May, 1991) and the man-vehicle collision accident which killed two ambulance officers (November, 2002). Lack of lesson from those accidents led to the accident of Fukuchiyama Line.

   In September, 2001, the punitive reeducation program, so called “Nikkin-kyoiku” drove Masaki Hattori, a member of Amagasaki Electric Train Depot Sub-branch of JRWU, to suicide. His father, Sakae Hattori, filed a “damage suit” against the company and has fought to revenge himself since then. Both JRU and JRWU have pointed out such problems as the Nikkin-kyoiku and demanded its improvement from JR West and the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry. Considering this, although that came too late, it means a great deal that problems of Nikkin-kyoiku were made known by the Aircraft and Railway Accidents Investigation Commission. Three other unions (JR Nishi-roso, Kokuro, Kenkoro) who have accepted the Nikkin-kyoiku in accordance with the company should give careful attention to what the Commission said in a humble manner.

   We are re-determined to reinforce efforts for safety measures in order for this opinion to be positively carried out to prevent recurrence of another accident. Above all, we do fight together with JRWU to realize radical correction of punitive employee administration and operation-and-profit-oriented stance of JR West. Furthermore, we will do our best to establish railway safety, keeping in our mind the resentment of the victims of the past accidents and Nikkin-kyoiku of JR West.

 

June 28, 2007

Japan Confederation of Railway Workers’ Unions (JRU)