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Labor Unions in Japan and France

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Submitted By rosepomme
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Table of Contents

Table of Contents 2
Introduction 3
1. Japan 4
2. France 6
Conclusion 7
Referencies 8 Introduction

Japan and France both observed a slow decrease in the union participation ratio, to reach today respectively 18,5% and 8%. In spite of this low participation rate, the labor unions in France often raise their voice and have a considerable power, but it appeared to me that in Japan this is not a topic often seen in the media. This led me to choose this topic in order to learn more about the current situation.

In spite of the similar situation of low participation ratio in France and Japan, their characteristics and methods can be considered as opposite. A first part will deal with the Japanese characteristics, followed by a second part dealing with the French features, and a conclusion will end this report.

1. Japan

The main particularity of the Japanese labor unions is that most of them are enterprise unions, in other words they are attached to a company, while in France they speak in the name of an occupation or an industry as a whole. That is why labor unions are an important feature of the management system in Japan.

In response to the 1950s and 1960s’ huge waves of labor protests and struggles, union leaders relationships operated a shift from confrontation to cooperation and collaboration. In the same time, to resolve the problem of stagnating productivity, the companies started to follow the guidance of the Japan Productivity Center by improving the relationship between workers and management. The establishment of this relationship of trust led to a decrease in the number of strikes, as it enabled both parties to reach an agreement without using force .
Thanks to this relationship of collaboration, most management executives have a high opinion of the labor union, and think it contributes to the

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