The Japanese Federation of Labour (Japanese: 日本労働組合総同盟 Nihon Rōdō Kumiai Sōdōmei) was a national trade union federation in Japan.
The federation was established in 1946, principally through the efforts of trade unionists, who had been involved in the pre-war Japanese Labour Federation. The new federation aligned itself with the Japan Socialist Party. By 1948, it claimed a total of 924,302 members, slightly less than its communist rival, Sanbetsu.
In 1950, many affiliates left to join the new General Council of Trade Unions of Japan, and by 1954, membership of Sodomei affiliates had fallen to 240,000. That year, many of its remaining affiliates split away to join the new All-Japan Trade Union Congress (Zenro), the surviving Sodomei being a small, conservative group with seven affiliates. In 1964, it merged with Zenro and the National Council of Government and Public Workers' Unions, to form the Japanese Confederation of Labour.
Affiliates
The following unions were affiliated in 1945:
| Union | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| National Textile Industry Labor Union Alliance | Zensendomei |
| National Metal Industry Labor Union Alliance | Zenkindomei |
| National Chemical Industry Labor Union Alliance | Kagakudomei |
| National Timber Industry Labor Union Alliance | |
| National Food Industry Trade Union Alliance | Zenkoku Shokuhin |
| National Armed Forces Labor Union Alliance | Zenchuro |
| Kanto Transport Labor Union Alliance | |
| Japan Mining Labor Union | Nikko |
| National Monopoly Bureau Labor Union | Zensenbai |
| Japan Medical Corps Staff Union General Union | |
| Japan Urban Transportation Labor Union Federation | Toshiko |
| National Printing Industry Labor Union Alliance | Zeninsatsu |
| National Federation of Labor Unions | Zenkokudoken |
The following unions were later affiliates:
| Abbreviation | Union | Founded | Left | Reason left | Membership (1958) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zenka Domei | National Federation of Chemical Workers | 1951 | 1964 | Transferred to Domei | 31,801 |
| Zen Doken Domei | National Federation of Construction Workers' Unions | 1,462 | |||
| Zen Shokuhin Domei | National Federation of Food Industry Workers' Unions | 1947 | 1964 | Transferred to Domei | 13,800 |
| Kowan Jyunbikai | Preparatory Committee of National Federation of Harbour Workers' Unions | Transferred to Domei | 1,916 | ||
| Shin Mitsubishi Jyuko | Shin Mitsubishi Heavy Industry Workers' Union | 1964 | Transferred to Domei | 22,314 | |
| Zenkin Domei | National Federation of Metal Industry Workers' Unions | 1951 | 1964 | Transferred to Domei | 64,043 |
| Zen Tanko | National Coal Mine Workers' Union | 1952 | 1964 | Transferred to Domei | 44,604 |
| Sodomei Ken Rengokai | Prefectural Associations of Sodomei | 35,574 | |||
| Zosen Soren | National Federation of Shipbuilding Workers' Unions | 1951 | 1964 | Transferred to Domei | 28,462 |
| Zen Koun Domei | National Federation of Transport Workers' Unions | 1964 | Merged into Kotsuroren | 6,059 |
Presidents
- 1946: Komakichi Matsuoka
- 1952: Yonekichi Kim
- 1959: Masashichi Motoi
References
- Nimura, Kazuo. "The Labor Union Movement at the Beginnings of Post-WWII Society in Japan". Kazuo Nimura. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- Moran, William T. (1949). "Labor Unions in Postwar Japan". Far Eastern Survey. 18 (21). doi:10.2307/3024155. JSTOR 3024155.
- Levine, Solomon B. (1954). "Prospects of Japanese Labor". Far Eastern Survey. 23 (5). doi:10.2307/3024094. JSTOR 3024094.
- Chaffee, Frederick H. (1969). Area Handbook for Japan. Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
- The Labour Year Book of Japan (PDF). 1945. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- Mitchell, James P. (1958). Director of Labor Organizations: Asia and Australasia. Washington DC: United States Department of Labor.
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