Beijing, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Okinawa Prefecture Port Labor Union has warned that if a US Navy guided missile destroyer docks at Ishigaki Port next month for replenishment, it will launch a strike at Ishigaki Port and Naha Port.
People chant slogans at a rally in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, November 23, 2023. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Feng Wuyong According to Okinawa TV 21**, the destroyer "Rafael Peralta" of the Seventh Fleet of the US Navy, headquartered in Japan, is scheduled to dock at Ishigaki Port from March 11 to 14 to replenish supplies and sailors on vacation. The Okinawa branch of Japan's dock union, the All Japan Port Labor Union, believes that the docking of US ships will pose a risk to the safety of production at Ishigaki Port.
According to Japan's Yaeyama**, the Rafael Peralta has a displacement of 9,500 tons, a total length of more than 155 meters, and a draft of 98 meters. It is scheduled to dock at a water depth of 105 meters. Taking into account the influence of wind and waves, it is necessary to set aside 10% of the water depth surplus on the basis of the ship's draft. This means that the destroyer does not meet the standards for berthing at the port of Ishigaki.
Ishigaki** believes that the U.S. ship cannot enter the port and dock because it cannot ensure safety. The U.S. military was considering letting the "Rafael Peralta" anchor in the sea near the port, and the U.S. sailors transferred to small boats to land.
Yaeyama** reported that the Okinawa branch of the "All Japan Port Labor Union" believed that the U.S. ship was dangerous whether it was docked or parked in the nearby sea, and that "under no circumstances can it be allowed to ignore the safety of port workers," and decided to strike at Ishigaki Port and Naha Port for a week while the U.S. ship was using Ishigaki Port.
The Okinawa branch of the dock union, which has about 1,000 members, could disrupt logistics in the Yaeyama Islands, where Ishigaki City is located, and seriously affect the lives of local people. The union organizers hope to use this to put pressure on the local government.
In September last year, the Okinawa branch of the All Japan Port Labor Union planned to organize a strike of about 50 workers at Ishigaki Port to prevent a U.S. minesweeper from entering Ishigaki Port, but later reached a compromise with the port operator.
Shunichi Yamaguchi, chairman of the executive committee of the Okinawa branch, said that it is necessary to ensure the safety of workplaces and the personal safety of workers, "This time it will be a missile destroyer, which is not the same as the previous minesweeper in terms of attack capability and tonnage." We had to take tough action." (Hu Ruoyu).