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 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 (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.[1]
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. Over time, however, Chūritsu Rōren became more conservative and built up its own staff, but continued to co-operate with Sōhyō in many cases.[2]
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, 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.[3]
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.[4] 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 (Shinsambetsu), intending to merge in the future.[5] In 1987, Chūritsu Rōren merged with both Shinsambetsu and the larger Japanese Confederation of Labour, to form RENGO.[6]
The following unions were affiliated:
| Union | Abbreviation | Founded[7] | Left | Reason not affiliated | Membership (1970)[8] | Membership (1985) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zendensen | 1946 | 1987 | Transferred to Rengo | 37,020 | 43,486 | ||
| Shokuhinroren | 1965 | 1987 | Transferred to Rengo | 93,898 | 66,372 | ||
| Zensekiyu | 1947 | 1987 | Transferred to Rengo | 24,732 | |||
| 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 | ||
| Denkiroren | 1953 | 1987 | Transferred to Rengo | 438,458 | 632,814 | ||
| Japan Tourist Bureau Workers' Union | Kotsukosha | 8,826 | N/A | ||||
| Zenkokubiiru | 1949 | 1980 | Disaffiliated | 15,046 | 13,334 | ||
| Zenkokusemento | 1947 | 1987 | Transferred to Rengo | 28,348 | 17,708 | ||
| Zenyoren | 1949 | 1987 | Transferred to Rengo | 40,777 | 23,652 | ||
| Zenkensoren | 1960 | 1987 | Disaffiliated | 219,558 | 351,816 | ||
| Zenkokugasu | 1947 | 1987 | Transferred to Rengo | 19,403 | 25,790 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 |