Jump to main content
IndustriALL logotype
Article placeholder image

Half-million-strong union inaugurated

Read this article in:

14 September, 1999IMF congratulates the newly merged JAM at its convention in Tokyo on 9/9/99.

JAPAN: The inaugural convention of the Japanese Association of Metal, Machinery and Manufacturing (JAM) took place on September 9, 1999, in Tokyo, following the merger of the 300,000-strong Zenkin Rengo (Japanese Metal Industrial Workers' Union) with the 200,000-member Kinzokukikai, representing workers in the machinery, transport equipment, metal products, electric appliance and precision machinery sectors. JAM will represent 500,000 members with 2,200 affiliated unions throughout Japan.
The newly-merged trade union has joined both the IMF-affiliated Japan Council of Metalworkers' Unions -- IMF-JC and the Japanese trade union confederation JTUC Rengo.
In the opening ceremony of the inaugural convention, IMF General Secretary Marcello Malentacchi warmly congratulated the two unions on their merger and said "it is a tribute to your maturity and wisdom to have brought about this enormous achievement." The IMF general secretary stressed that unity was never more important than today, in the context of globalisation and the need to meet the challenges of world economic integration, and underlined the need for metalworkers to "speak with one voice, be united for common goals and cooperate more closely at national and international level".