Labor unions in Japan
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National trade union organization(s) Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) |
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National government agency(ies) Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare |
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Primary trade union legislation Labour Union Law (Act. No. 51, Dec 1945) Labour Relations Adjustment Law (1946) |
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Trade union membership 10,238,187 |
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Percentage of workforce unionized 18.5% (2010) |
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International Labour Organization Japan is a member of the ILO |
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| Convention ratification | |
| Freedom of Association | 14 June 1965 |
| Right to Organise | 20 October 1953 |
National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren)
National Trade Union Council (Zenrokyo)
Labour Relations Adjustment Law (1946)
Labour Standards Law (1947)
Labour Union Law (Act. No. 174, June 1949)
10,238,187
18.5% (2010)
Japan is a member of the ILO
Labour unions emerged in Japan in the second half of the Meiji period, after 1890, as the country underwent a period of rapid industrialization. Until 1945, however, the labour movement remained weak, impeded by lack of legal rights,anti-union legislation, management-organized factory councils, and political divisions between “cooperative” and radical unionists. In the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, the US Occupation authorities initially encouraged the formation of independent unions. Legislation was passed that enshrined the right to organize, and membership rapidly rose to 5 million by February 1947. The organization rate, however, peaked at 55.8% in 1949 and subsequently declined to 18.5% as of 2010.
The labour movement went through a process of reorganization from 1987 to 1991 from which emerged the present configuration of three major labour union federations, along with other smaller national union organizations.
In 2005, 43,096 labour unions in Japan, with a combined membership of 7,395,666 workers, belonged either directly, or indirectly through labour union councils, to the three main labour union federations:
A further 19,139 unions, with a combined membership of 2,842,521 workers, were affiliated to other national labour organizations. The labour union organizations included (with membership figures for 2001/2002) the National Federation of Construction Workers' Unions (717,908) Federation of City Bank Employees' Unions (105,950), Zendenko Roren (53,853), National Federation of Agricultural Mutual Aid Societies Employees' Unions (45,830), All Japan Council of Optical Industry Workers' Union (44,776), National Teachers Federation of Japan (42,000), Faculty and Staff Union of Japanese Universities (38,500), and All Aluminium Industrial Workers Union (36,000).
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