The Association of Neutral Labour Unions (中立労働組合連絡会議, ''Chūritsu rōdō kumiai renraku kaigi''), better known by its Japanese abbreviation Chūritsu Rōren, was a

national trade union federation Organizers within trade unions have sought to increase the bargaining power of workers in regards to collective bargaining by acting in collaboration with other trade unions. Multi-union organizing can take place on an informal basis, or on a ...

in Japan from 1956 to 1987. Chūritsu Rōren was established in 1956 as an association of labor unions affiliated with the

General Council of Trade Unions of Japan A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED Online. Ma ...

(Sōhyō), but that were increasingly dismayed by Sōhyō's promotion of contentious non-workplace struggles in support of left-wing political objectives. By calling themselves the "Association of Neutral Labour Unions," Chūritsu Rōren was signaling its "neutral" (''chūritsuteki'') position in the ideological struggles of the global Cold War. Initially, Chūritsu Rōren was a loose association still remaining within and not clearly distinguished from Sōhyō, even continuing to share most of its staff with Sōhyō, albeit avoiding any overt affiliation with Sōhyō's main political affiliate, the

Japan Socialist Party The was a major socialist and progressive political party in Japan which existed from 1945 to 1996. The party was the primary representative of the Japanese left and main opponent of the right-wing Liberal Democratic Party for most of its ex ...

. Over time, however, Chūritsu Rōren became more conservative and built up its own staff, but continued to co-operate with Sōhyō in many cases. Although Chūritsu Rōren generally shied away from overtly political actions, the association did participate in the successful struggle in 1958 to defeat the revision of the Police Duties Bill proposed by conservative prime minister

Nobusuke Kishi was a Japanese bureaucrat and politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan, prime minister of Japan from 1957 to 1960. He is remembered for his exploitative economic management of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo in China in the 1930s, ...

, as well as the ensuing 1960 Anpo protests against revision of the US-Japan Security Treaty, both of which opponents were successfully able to portray as not so much left-right political issues but rather as basic threats to Japanese democracy and civil rights. After the spectacular failure of the Miike Coal Mine Strike in 1960 and the general discrediting of Sōhyō's political struggles, Chūritsu Rōren increasingly made inroads with unions previously affiliated with Sōhyō during the 1960s. By 1967, the association claimed 1,200,000 members, and reached 1,321,000 members in 1978, almost all in the private sector. That year, it formed a loose association with the

National Federation Of Industrial Organisations The National Federation Of Industrial Organisations (FIO, , Shinsanbetsu) was a national trade union federation in Japan. The federation was a split from Sanbetsu, which took place in 1952. Always a small organisation, by 1967 it had only three ...

(Shinsambetsu), intending to merge in the future. In 1987, Chūritsu Rōren merged with both Shinsambetsu and the larger

Japanese Confederation of Labour The Japanese Confederation of Labour (Dōmei; ) was a national trade union federation in Japan. The federation was founded in 1964, with the merger of the All-Japan Trade Union Congress, the National Council of Government and Public Workers' Uni ...

, to form

RENGO Rengo is a city and commune located in the Zona Central of Chile, situated in the Cachapoal Province of the O'Higgins Region at a distance of south of the city of Rancagua and south of the national capital Santiago. It was named after the c ...

Affiliates

The following unions were affiliated: {, class="wikitable sortable" ! Union !! Abbreviation !! Founded !! Left !! Reason not affiliated !! Membership (1970){{cite book , title=Labor Law and Practice in Japan , date=1970 , publisher=United States Department of Labor , location=Washington DC !! Membership (1985) , - , All Japan Electric Wire Labour Union , , Zendensen , , 1946 , , 1987 , , Transferred to Rengo , , 37,020 , , 43,486 , - , All Japan Federation of Food Industries Workers' Unions , , Shokuhinroren , , 1965 , , 1987 , , Transferred to Rengo , , 93,898 , , 66,372 , - ,

All Japan Oil Workers' Union The Japan Confederation of Petroleum Industry Workers' Unions (, Sekiyu Roren) was a trade union representing workers in the oil industry in Japan. The union was founded on 11 April 1947 as a loose council and became a more centralised federation ...

, , Zensekiyu , , 1947 , , 1987 , , Transferred to Rengo , , 24,732 , , , - ,

All Japan Shipbuilding and Machine Workers' Unions The All-Japan Shipbuilding and Engineering Union (SEU, , Zenzōsen, also known as ''Zen Nihon Zōsen Kikai Rōdō Kumiai'') was a trade union in Japan, representing workers in the ship-building and ship repair industry. The union was established ...

, , Zenzosenkikai , , 1946 , , 1987 , , Transferred to Sohyo , , 53,600 , , 5,555 , - , Confederation of Movie and Theatre Workers , , Eiensoren , , 1952 , , 1980 , , Disaffiliated , , 4,743 , , 2,413 , - , Federation of Rolling Stock Industry Workers' Unions , , Sharyororen , , , , 1972 , , Dissolved , , 18,207 , , ''N/A'' , - ,

Japanese Federation of Electric Machine Workers' Unions Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

, , Denkiroren , , 1953 , , 1987 , , Transferred to Rengo , , 438,458 , , 632,814 , - , Japan Tourist Bureau Workers' Union , , Kotsukosha , , , , , , , , 8,826 , , ''N/A'' , - ,

National Confederation of Beer Brewery Workers' Unions The National Confederation of Beer Brewery Workers' Unions (Zenkoku Biiru) was a trade union representing workers in the brewing industry of Japan. The union was founded in 1949, and later affiliated to the Federation of Independent Unions The A ...

, , Zenkokubiiru , , 1949 , , 1980 , , Disaffiliated , , 15,046 , , 13,334 , - ,

National Federation of Cement Workers' Unions of Japan The National Federation of Cement Workers' Unions of Japan (, Zenkoku Semento) was a trade union representing workers involved in manufacturing cement in Japan. The union was founded in 1947, and was later a founding affiliate of the Federation o ...

, , Zenkokusemento , , 1947 , , 1987 , , Transferred to Rengo , , 28,348 , , 17,708 , - ,

National Federation of Ceramic Industry Workers' Unions The National Federation of Ceramic Industry Workers' Unions (, Zenyoren) was a trade union representing workers in the ceramic industry in Japan. The union was established in 1949, and later affiliated to the Federation of Independent Unions. By ...

, , Zenyoren , , 1949 , , 1987 , , Transferred to Rengo , , 40,777 , , 23,652 , - ,

National Federation of Construction Workers' Unions National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

, , Zenkensoren , , 1960 , , 1987 , , Disaffiliated , , 219,558 , , 351,816 , - ,

National Federation of Gas Supply Workers' Unions National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

, , Zenkokugasu , , 1947 , , 1987 , , Transferred to Rengo , , 19,403 , , 25,790 , - ,

National Federation of Hotel Workers' Unions The Japan Federation of Leisure-Service Industries Workers' Unions (Leisure Service Rengo) was a trade union representing workers in the hospitality, leisure and service industries in Japan. The union founded in 1948, as the All Japan Federation ...

, , Hoteruroren , , 1948 , , 1974 , , Transferred to Sohyo , , 6,376 , , 12,383 , - , National Federation of Life Insurance Brokers' Unions , , Zengairen , , , , 1969 , , Merged into Seihororen , , 207,900 , , ''N/A'' , - , National Federation of Life Insurance Salesmen's Unions , , Zenseiho , , , , 1969 , , Merged into Seihororen , , 56,000 , , ''N/A'' , - ,

National Federation of Life Insurance Workers' Unions National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

, , Seihororen , , 1969 , , 1987 , , Transferred to Rengo , , ''N/A'' , , 369,799 , - , Railway Welfare Aid Association Workers' Union , , Tetsukoro , , , , 1972 , , Transferred to Sohyo , , 23,844 , , ''N/A''

References

National trade union centers of Japan Trade unions established in 1962 Trade unions disestablished in 1987