A FOUR-DAY GO-SLOW BY RAILWAY WORKERS IN TOKYO AND THE SUBURBS ENTERED IT'S SECOND DAY ON WEDNESDAY (13 DECEMBER). THE MEN ARE PROTESTING OVER RATIONALISATION PLANS WHICH INCLUDE REMOVING ASSISTANT DRIVERS ON ELECTRIC AND DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES.

MORNING COMMUTER TRAINS WERE DELAYED UP TO 35 MINUTES, AFFECTING SOME 970,000 PASSENGERS, RAILWAY AUTHORITIES SAID. A TOTAL OF 97 TRAINS WERE SUSPENDED.

DURING THE GO-SLOW THE WORKERS - MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL RAILWAY WORKERS UNION - ARE WORKING STRICTLY ACCORDING TO SAFETY REGULATIONS.

FOR THE "SAKE OF SAFETY" CONDUCTORS WERE NOT CLOSING TRAIN DOORS QUICKLY AND DRIVERS WERE SLOW IN STARTING THEIR TRAINS.

THE RATIONALISATION PLAN IS PART OF THE NATIONAL RAILWAY AUTHORITIES' THIRD SEVEN-YEAR PROGRAMME TO INCREASE TRANSPORTATION CAPACITY AND ALLEVIATE PASSENGER TRAFFIC CONGESTION.