Oji Paper Dispute

A labor dispute broke out at Oji Paper Co., Ltd. (4,500 employees) in 1958 (Showa 33), which developed into a split in the union. Amid the so-called "bottom-of-the-barrel economy," this was a representative dispute that confronted policies aimed at weakening private-sector labor unions. In February of that year, the union demanded a wage increase of over 2,000 yen based on the spring offensive, but in June, as the conflict continued, the company instead proposed revising the labor agreement, particularly the abolition of the union shop system. In opposition to this, the union established a joint struggle with Sohyo and the Pulp and Paper Workers' Union, and went on an indefinite strike from July 18th.

However, second unions were formed one after another at the Tokyo head office and at the Tomakomai and Kasugai plant branches, and conflicts arose between members of both unions and housewives, which escalated into major struggles such as a solidarity strike by 15,000 members of the Pulp and Paper Workers' Union and a one-hour solidarity workplace rally by 270,000 members of the All Hokkaido Labor Union. The matter was resolved with the mediation of the Central Labor Relations Commission on December 9th, and the First Union declared victory, but the following year the company attacked First Union members by taking disciplinary action, stripping them of their positions, encouraging union leaders in the midst of a dispute to resign, firing them, and not hiring the children of First Union members at all, which led to a large number of members leaving the union and the First Union falling into a minority union.

[Hiroshi Matsuo]

"Let's work hard for unity," compiled by the Oji Struggle Record Compilation Committee (1959, Labor Law Weekly Press)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

1958年（昭和33）に王子製紙株式会社（従業員4500人）で発生、組合の分裂に発展した労働争議。いわゆる「なべ底景気」のなか、民間労働組合の弱体化をねらう政策と対立した代表的な争議。同年2月、組合は春闘に基づく2000円余の賃上げなどを要求したが、抗争の続く6月、会社は逆に労働協約の改定、なかでもユニオン・ショップ制の廃止などを提案したため、これに反発した組合は、総評、紙パルプ労連との共同闘争を確立し、7月18日から無期限ストに突入した。

　しかし、東京本社、苫小牧(とまこまい)、春日井(かすがい)両工場支部で次々に第二組合が結成され、両組合員、主婦が激突する対立が生じ、紙パルプ労連の組合員1万5000人が連帯スト、全道労協の組合員27万人が1時間の連帯職場大会などの大闘争に発展した。12月9日中央労働委員会の斡旋(あっせん)で解決し、第一組合は勝利を宣言したが、翌年会社は第一組合員の懲戒処分、役職の剥奪(はくだつ)、争議中の組合幹部への辞職勧告、解雇、あるいは第一組合員子弟の採用ゼロなどの攻撃を加えたので、組合からの脱退者が続出し、第一組合は少数組合に転落した。

［松尾　洋］

『王子闘争記録編纂委員会編『団結がんばろう』（1959・労働法律旬報社）』

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