This defeat of the militant trade union current coincided with a new wave of Japanese economic expansion which continued, with annual growth rates of 6-8 per cent, until the 1973 oil crisis.
Whereas in Western Europe there was a massive introduction of immigrant workers during the post war economic expansion, in Japan there was a muse migration of the population from the rural to the urban areas.
Between agricultural workforce decreased from 17 million to 9 million. In the same period the number of wage earners increased from 20 million to 36 million. The rural population was reduced from 30 to 15 ner cent of the total. Women were also brought into the workforce in and so on.
In each case the industrial federation Is based on these company unions These industrial tederations then come into confederations.
This finally system in almost all big manufacturing Taclones - right wing company trade unions based on the 'core workers and excluding the low paid, part-time, temJane women workers. already become a dominant trade union the current in ine private sector ov ine ena of the 1970s. These unions give their first loyalty o the company. Politically they support the Democratic Socialist Party or the right wing of the SP and are openly pro-imperialist.
In the public sector, the situation Is different. Here all workers were, norSocialist Action 11 Sept 1987