Union rate is at its lowest, under 20%

The percentage of Japanese workers who are currently union members has declined for the first time to under 20 percent.

The labor ministry survey published on December 17 shows that as of June 2003 the rate was 19.6 percent, down 0.6 points from the previous year.

The total number of union members decreased by 269,000 to 10,530,000. The National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) and its partner organization National Trade Union Council (Zenrokyo) have a total of 1,159,000 members, down 30,000. The membership of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) decreased by 138,000 to 6,807,000.

The number of part-time workers who are union members is 331,000, up 13.1 percent from the previous year.

The decline in the union rate has been accelerated by corporate restructuring, said Zenroren Secretary General Ban'nai Mitsuo. He pointed out that many larger corporations, regardless of industry, are reluctant to hire new workers and are replacing regular workers with contingent ones. In the public service sector, the number of employees has also dropped sharply.

Ban'nai said," Zenroren will increase the struggle against social injustice more than ever so that more workers will join us." (end)