Association of Neutral Labour Unions

The Association of Neutral Labour Unions (中立労働組合連絡会議, Chūritsu rōdō kumiai renraku kaigi), better known by its Japanese abbreviation Chūritsu Rōren, was a national trade union federation in Japan from 1956 to 1987.

Chūritsu Rōren was established in 1956 as an association of labor unions affiliated with the General Council of Trade Unions of Japan (Sōhyō), but that were increasingly dismayed by Sōhyō's promotion of contentious non-workplace struggles in support of left-wing political objectives. By calling themselves the "Association of Neutral Labour Unions," Chūritsu Rōren was signaling its "neutral" (chūritsuteki) position in the ideological struggles of the global Cold War.[1]

Initially, Chūritsu Rōren was a loose association still remaining within and not clearly distinguished from Sōhyō, even continuing to share most of its staff with Sōhyō, albeit avoiding any overt affiliation with Sōhyō's main political affiliate, the Japan Socialist Party. Over time, however, Chūritsu Rōren became more conservative and built up its own staff, but continued to co-operate with Sōhyō in many cases.[2]

Although Chūritsu Rōren generally shied away from overtly political actions, the association did participate in the successful struggle in 1958 to defeat the revision of the Police Duties Bill proposed by conservative prime minister Nobusuke Kishi, as well as the ensuing 1960 Anpo protests against revision of the US-Japan Security Treaty, both of which opponents were successfully able to portray as not so much left-right political issues but rather as basic threats to Japanese democracy and civil rights.[3]

After the spectacular failure of the Miike Coal Mine Strike in 1960 and the general discrediting of Sōhyō's political struggles, Chūritsu Rōren increasingly made inroads with unions previously affiliated with Sōhyō during the 1960s.[4] By 1967, the association claimed 1,200,000 members,[2] and reached 1,321,000 members in 1978, almost all in the private sector. That year, it formed a loose association with the National Federation Of Industrial Organisations (Shinsambetsu), intending to merge in the future.[5] In 1987, Chūritsu Rōren merged with both Shinsambetsu and the larger Japanese Confederation of Labour, to form RENGO.[6]

Affiliates

The following unions were affiliated:

UnionAbbreviationFounded[7]LeftReason not affiliatedMembership (1970)[8]Membership (1985)[7]
All Japan Electric Wire Labour UnionZendensen19461987Transferred to Rengo37,02043,486
All Japan Federation of Food Industries Workers' UnionsShokuhinroren19651987Transferred to Rengo93,89866,372
All Japan Oil Workers' UnionZensekiyu19471987Transferred to Rengo24,732
All Japan Shipbuilding and Machine Workers' UnionsZenzosenkikai19461987Transferred to Sohyo53,6005,555
Confederation of Movie and Theatre WorkersEiensoren19521980Disaffiliated4,7432,413
Federation of Rolling Stock Industry Workers' UnionsSharyororen1972Dissolved18,207N/A
Japanese Federation of Electric Machine Workers' UnionsDenkiroren19531987Transferred to Rengo438,458632,814
Japan Tourist Bureau Workers' UnionKotsukosha8,826N/A
National Confederation of Beer Brewery Workers' UnionsZenkokubiiru19491980Disaffiliated15,04613,334
National Federation of Cement Workers' Unions of JapanZenkokusemento19471987Transferred to Rengo28,34817,708
National Federation of Ceramic Industry Workers' UnionsZenyoren19491987Transferred to Rengo40,77723,652
National Federation of Construction Workers' UnionsZenkensoren19601987Disaffiliated219,558351,816
National Federation of Gas Supply Workers' UnionsZenkokugasu19471987Transferred to Rengo19,40325,790
National Federation of Hotel Workers' UnionsHoteruroren19481974Transferred to Sohyo6,37612,383
National Federation of Life Insurance Brokers' UnionsZengairen1969Merged into Seihororen207,900N/A
National Federation of Life Insurance Salesmen's UnionsZenseiho1969Merged into Seihororen56,000N/A
National Federation of Life Insurance Workers' UnionsSeihororen19691987Transferred to RengoN/A369,799
Railway Welfare Aid Association Workers' UnionTetsukoro1972Transferred to Sohyo23,844N/A

References
  1. Kapur, Nick (2018). Japan at the Crossroads: Conflict and Compromise after Anpo. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 13. ISBN 978-0674984424.
  2. Chaffee, Frederick H. (1969). Area Handbook for Japan. Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
  3. Kapur, Nick (2018). Japan at the Crossroads: Conflict and Compromise after Anpo. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. pp. 18–19. ISBN 978-0674984424.
  4. Kapur, Nick (2018). Japan at the Crossroads: Conflict and Compromise after Anpo. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 142. ISBN 978-0674984424.
  5. Country Labor Profile: Japan. Washington DC: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of International Labor Affairs. 1979. p. 5.
  6. Carlile, Lonny E. (1994). "Party Politics and the Japanese Labor Movement: Rengo's "New Political Force"". Asian Survey. 34 (7).
  7. Seifert, Wolfgang. Gewerkschaften in der japanischen Politik von 1970 bis 1990. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. ISBN 9783322899309.
  8. Labor Law and Practice in Japan. Washington DC: United States Department of Labor. 1970.
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