Reorganization of Japanese labor unions

The following is an article from the Asahi Shimbun in 1989. It reports on the formation of the new labor union alliance organizations "Rengo(連合)" and "Zenroren(全労連)."

However, it is unfair that the name of "Toitsu Rounkyo Kon(統一労組懇)," which was essentially Zenroren's former organization, is not included in the table.

In the article below, the right-wing labor union "Rengo" has been calling for cooperation with the government (national ministries and agencies) since its formation.
Below that is an article on the dissolution of Toitsu Rounkyo Kon.

At the same time that Toitsu Rounkyo Kon became Zenroren, it criticized "Rengo" for being anti-communist and taking a labor-management cooperation line.

Rengo and its former organization "Sohyo(総評)" have set the date of May Day rallies to other days instead of May 1st, and have invited the LDP prime minister as a guest to May Day rallies. They are also reluctant to strike.

On the other hand, Toitsu Rounkyo Kon and Zenroren are said to be labor unions that fight against capital by exercising the right to strike.
Harada and the labor union he belonged to were affiliated with Toitsu Rounkyo Kon and Zenroren.

Until the 1980s, the Asahi Shimbun and other major newspapers did some decent reporting, but since 2000 their quality has deteriorated significantly and they have become government PR papers.

To put it simply, this division of Japanese company labor unions after the war represents the conflict between the Japan Socialist Party and the Japanese Communist Party.
The conflict between the Japan Socialist Party and the Japanese Communist Party after the war has had an impact on anti-nuclear weapon organizations and various other fields.
The Japan Socialist Party was later dissolved, and the left wing of the old Socialist Party was succeeded by the Social Democratic Party and the New Socialist Party, but unfortunately both are weak organizations.

Labor unions that previously supported Sohyo now support the centrist party "Constitutional Democratic Party," and labor union members are required to vote for the Constitutional Democratic Party.
On the other hand, labor unions affiliated with Zenroren guarantee the freedom of voting for labor union members in their rules, stating that workers have freedom of thought. (This was also the case with Eisanro, to which Harada belongs).

The "Constitutional Democratic Party" is always fluctuating between the left and the right.

Right-wing parties such as the Liberal Democratic Party are always scheming to attract centrist parties to their side.
During the war, all political parties except the Japanese Communist Party supported the war of aggression under the Imperial Rule Assistance Association.

So why is there always a conflict between the Japanese Communist Party and other opposition parties in Japan? We believe it is simply an emotional issue, and stems from the desire to oppose the large political parties with a long history.

Japanese people always yearn for new things, not old things. Liberal human rights lawyer Kenji Utsunomiya calls this the "Blue Bird Syndrome."
In recent years, Taro Yamamoto's "Reiwa Shinsengumi" has been gaining support from liberals and old leftists.
On the other hand, new parties are being formed one after another on the right.
In Japan, a law has been passed that allows the government to distribute taxes to political parties as funds.
That is why it is possible to form as many new parties as you want in Japan with tax money.
The Japanese Communist Party considers this a "violation of the constitution" and refuses to accept tax distributions.

Many Japanese people, partly due to propaganda from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, see labor unions as a nuisance and generally avoid getting involved with them.
However, if a parent is a union member, their child will be less afraid of labor unions.