The head of the labor union of Tokyo Electric Power Co. vowed to take revenge on May 29 against lawmakers with the ruling Democratic Party of Japan who they feel "betray" union members, by refusing to endorse them.
Speaking as a guest of a meeting held by the labor union of Chubu Electric Power Co. in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, Yukio Arai, the chairman of the central executive committee of the TEPCO labor union, said, "DPJ lawmakers who betray us will receive the proper payback."
While labor unions have been a major source of support for many DPJ lawmakers, Arai's comment was a direct criticism of the energy policy being pushed by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, which calls for moving away from nuclear energy.
A number of the 360 or so union members who attended the meeting seemed stunned by the chairman's statement.
Regarding the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, operated by TEPCO, Arai said, "No illegal act was committed. Having received the proper approval of the central government, union members working at the plant felt the situation would be safe as long as they abided by the approval."
In response to questions from reporters, Arai said, "We will make serious judgments about whether we endorse (DPJ candidates). We will make a comprehensive decision based not only on nuclear energy policy, but also policies for jobs and industry."
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