Translation guide
An organization of workers formed to protect and advance their rights and interests. In Japanese, the most common term is 労働組合, but other related terms exist depending on context.
The standard term for a trade union in most contexts.
The most common and neutral term for a trade union. Often abbreviated to 労組 in news or formal writing.
彼は労働組合の委員長です。
He is the chairman of the trade union.
労働組合が賃上げを要求している。
The trade union is demanding a wage increase.
Abbreviation of 労働組合, common in newspapers and formal contexts.
労組の幹部が会見を開いた。
The union leaders held a press conference.
A union organized within a single company, which is the typical form in Japan.
Refers specifically to a union organized at the company level, the dominant type in Japan.
日本の労働組合の多くは企業別組合です。
Most Japanese trade unions are enterprise-based unions.
A union that organizes workers across an industry or craft, rather than a single company.
An industrial union, organizing workers by industry rather than by company.
産業別組合は業界全体の労働条件を改善しようとしている。
The industrial union is trying to improve working conditions across the industry.
A national-level organization that coordinates multiple unions.
A federation of trade unions, often used in names like 日本労働組合総連合会 (Rengo).
連合は日本最大の労働組合連合です。
Rengo is Japan's largest trade union federation.
In casual conversation, 労働組合 is often shortened to 組合 (くみあい) when the context is clear, but 労組 is more common in writing.
Japanese unions are typically enterprise-based (企業別組合), meaning each company has its own union, unlike many Western countries where industrial or craft unions are more common. When discussing trade unions in a Japanese context, it may be helpful to clarify this difference.
A craft union, organizing workers by specific occupation or trade.
職業別組合は特定の技能を持つ労働者で構成される。
A craft union is made up of workers with specific skills.