We have shown in the appendix to this section of the report certain statistical information giving the movement of wages, hours of production for the Japanese industry.
Zensen Domei
During the past five years Zensen Domei made claims on the industry with some degree of success which will be seen in the statistical information at the end of this section of the report. During the course of these claims concern was expressed about the textile industry and due to the application of Zensen Domei two tripartite committees were formed, when, after long deliberations, they submitted a joint recommendation to the Government Departmental Minister. This recommendation was accepted by the Government who in turn passed a law in July 1967 entitled "Interim Act on the Structural Reform of the Specified Textile Industry" and at the same time approved a budget containing a subsidy of 11.8 billion Yen for the use of renovation in 1967 and approved an additional budget of 18.8 billion Yen for 1968, to be used to implement this renovation. In addition to these two sums a further budget of 19.8 billion Yen was appropriated in 1969 for the same purpose. The renovation programme recommends to the spinning as well as the weaving industry they commence modernisation of the industries and determine the appropriate size of the industry by merging smaller firms and scrapping redundant equipment. At the end of 1967 there were 123 million spindles in use of which one million were to be scrapped during 1968. As a result 780,000 spindles were scrapped.
With regard to weaving, at present there are 667,000 looms in operation of which 422,000 are for cotton and spun rayon weaving and 245,000 are for silk and rayon weaving. Installing new automatic weaving machines, the old cotton and spun rayon weaving machines will be decreased to 341,000 in 1971, 222,000 in 1976 and the silk and rayon weaving machines will be decreased to 200,000 in 1971 and 192,000 in 1976.
In regard to these structural alterations, it is anticipated that the weaving centre is expected to increase in value by 80% in 1971 as compared with 1966, and 210% in 1976.
With the dyeing and hosiery industry the structural movement will com- mence next year, grouping small units and improving the present machinery and this means the value of the dyeing section will be raised by 42% in 1973 and 86% in 1978, taking 1968 as the standard, and in the hosiery industry-61% in 1973 and 126% in 1978.
The Government further approved a Research Fund for the sewing and twisting industries for 1968 and the structural improvements for these industries is expected to be implemented from 1970 onwards.
Following the structural improvement in the production of textile goods a budget of 15 million Yen was appropriated for a survey of the distribution of the textile goods since it was felt there could be considerable improvement in this area. The Japanese Government has introduced legislation providing payments for workers forced to leave plants due to the implementation of the renovation programme in the industry. This provides that a worker over 40 years of age who leaves the plant for a new job shall be paid 7,000 Yen monthly (8,000 Yen if over 50 years of age) for a period of 12 months.
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