Japan’s Labor Unions: Past, Present, Future

Enterprise unions have been viewed as one of the Japanese-style employment systems; following the harsh labor disputes of the 1950s and 60s, the labor-management consultation system was improved and relationships based on collaboration and cooperation with those in management were created. As a result, although enterprise unions have contributed to increases in productivity at companies, they also face problems such as the organizational format centered on regular employees and the decline in the unionization ratio that this has brought about, as well as the difficulty in union participation rate that transcends the boundaries of individual companies, a decrease in organizational strength due to the replacement of union officials within a short period of time, and the stagnation of activities at the workplace level, due to the lack of full-time officials. The Institute for Industrial Relation and Labor Policy, Chubu conducted a survey of the actual situation in 2008-2009, which revealed the actual status of labor-management relations in the workplace and issues relating to this; specifically, this included the fact that there is an awareness that there are good relations between labor and management, but interest in labor union activities among union members has declined, discussions at workplace union meetings are sluggish, and one can see a reduction in workplace labor union activities. What is required is for enterprise unions to alter the style of their activities to suit changes in society, by such means as issuing statements to management from a broader perspective and a mediumto long-term viewpoint.