Japanese Labor Relations: The Role and Efficiency of Japanese Labor Unions in Addressing Labor-Related Issues in the Over-All Japanese Labor Market

Abstract

Foreign scholars in the international community show interest in Japanese labor relations and the labor market mechanisms that govern these principles. The Japanese employment system is distinct, unique and exclusive. Meanwhile, Japanese labor unions defy the usual concept of the Western, antagonist-capitalist labor set-up. Japanese labor organizations build a harmonious relationship between the company management and the labor movement in order to maintain a stable Japanese economy without necessarily sacrificing the welfare of the employees. This paper is primarily concerned with the role and efficiency of Japanese labor unions. It principally attempts to answer the questions: What is the role of workers' union in the Japanese labor sector and how efficient are these organizations in addressing labor-related issues? How do Japanese labor unions, such as Nissan Roren and JICHIRO, maintain a harmonious relationship between the company administration and employees in the Japanese labor market? Further, this paper aims to assess the role of Japanese labor unions in using an alternative approach as to their efficiency in promoting the welfare of the employees. The study begins with the thesis statement: The set-up of the Japanese economy defines the importance of the existence of Japanese labor unions, such as Nissan Roren and JICHIRO, and their efficiency as they play vital roles in addressing labor-related issues in the over-all Japanese labor market. Through a survey of books, journals, brochures, transcripts of conventions and conduct of interviews, this paper provides a discussion and analysis of the historical evolution of Japanese labor movements, the mechanisms that underlie in Japanese companies, the employment system and how these principles are manifested in and by labor unions. Two Japanese labor organizations, Nissan and JICHIRO, were considered as case studies to validate the claim in the thesis statement. The writer's stay in Japan as an exchange scholar at the University of Tokyo enabled him to interview members of Nissan Roren and JICHIRO. The writer experienced first-hand Japanese culture that have a bearing on Japanese labor unions.