company actively cooperated with the bosses in the rationalisation. In the process the pockets ' of support for the traditional reformist trade union in the orivate sector were eliminated. Right wing company union unle •privale In the public sector the peak of traditional trade union militancy in the 1970s was the general strike of 1975 demanding the right to strike for public sector workers. But when the govern ment refused to give way union leadership just called off the strike. This was the end of the offensive position of the reformist trade union Public From 1975 to 1979 the Japanese bourgeoisie built up their stronghold in the private sector. Then, over the next five years they launched a frontal attack the on the trade union movement in the public sector. This was accomplished by In 1984 telecommunications was privatised. Then the state monopoly cigarette company was the On this basis, in 1984/85, the right wing trade union federation in the private sector took the offensive to call ior a process or nanonwide umicaton of the trade union movement under the leadership of the right wing. The right wing trade union forces, to secure this, have united into a preparatory.confederation in the private sector. This is a transitory step. In the final stage there will be a new right wing trade union confederation which will totally dominate the private sector.
The right wing unions have also launched a campaign for a single union confederation including the public and private sectors — which will mean the complete hegemony of right wing com pany unionism in the Japanese labour movement. The leadership of Sohyo has made a sharp right turn over the past seven years and supports unity In summary, if in Western Europe task defence movements which are weakened but remain national movements, in Japan the traditional labour movement has been dismantled. What is on the agenda is a new etfort to rebuild a national working