Union membership in Japan at all time low

Japan's organized workers accounted for 20.7 percent of all employees as
of the end of June 2001. That's the lowest percentage since the annual union
survey began in 1947.

According to the Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry report released on
December 18, the total number of trade union members was 12 million, a
decline for 7 years in a row. Members decreased in all industries.

The number of trade unions also decreased by 1,031 to 67,706 from June
1999. The percentage of unionization marked the highest with 55.8 percent in
1949, but has declined since 1975.

The HL&W Ministry attributed the further decline in the unionization
rate to an increase of workers in the service industry where union members
are rare.

A breakdown by national trade union centers affiliation is: 1 million for
the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren); 7 million for the
Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), and 0.25 million for the
National Trade Union Council (Zenrokyo).

Zenroren's comment

In a published statement on December 18, Zenroren Secretary General
Bannai Mitsuo said that the further decline in union membership is caused by
the government and business circles' push for a "structural reform" policy
of encouraging sweeping corporate restructuring through massive dismissals
of employees. The business circles are putting into practice a strategy of
replacing regular workers with low-waged part-time and other contingent
workers, he said.

Bannai pointed out that even the government is obliged to recognize that
Zenroren accounts for nine percent of all trade union members. He said that
on this basis the government must end its unjust policy of excluding
Zenroren members from many government councils on labor affairs.

Rengo Secretary General Kusano Tadayoshi on the same day commented on the
ministry's survey. He acknowledged that Rengo membership in the last year
declined by 195,000. He said that this was mainly because of massive
corporate dismissals and Rengo's being unable to organize the increasing
irregular workers, including part timers. (end)