Rengo Wraps Up the Upper House Election

Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) released its draft of summary on its campaign in the Upper House election voted on July 20th, 2025. The biggest organization of labor union in Japan welcomed decline of power of the leading coalition to less than majority, as well as in the Lower House. However, the confederation regretted that the opposition parties upheld a policy of consumption tax cut, which was different from Rengo’s basic stance. 

In the time of post war confrontation between employers and employees, as reflecting basic structure of capitalism vs. socialism in the Cold War, Rengo had been supportive for the labor side, making a contrast against Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) which supported the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). After Japan Socialist Party disappeared in 1996, Rengo has mainly been supportive for the opposition parties, including Democratic Party of Japan which led its government between 2009 and 2012.

 

Currently, Rengo is the biggest organized supporter for the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) and the Democratic Party for the People (DPP). While the CDPJ is supported by labor unions of public workers, such as All-Japan Prefectural and Municipal Workers Union, the DPP’s supporters consist of labor unions of car manufacturers or electric power companies, which take relatively conservative stance in policies.

 

Rengo concluded that the outcome of the Upper House election, which pushed the leading coalition into minority, was “a great achievement” obtained by Rengo’s power of unification. Namely, victories of candidates with the CDPJ and the DPP in single-seat districts were considered as caused by integration of candidates by both parties. However, the achieved votes for ten candidates of both parties in proportional district was 1.32 million, which declined by 200 thousand from last election in 2022 and marked the lowest record since 2001.

 

Rengo unequivocally criticized campaign of the CDPJ and the DPP. To the CDPJ, it assessed that the party, which could not secure major gains in the Upper House election, was in jeopardy of existence as a party. “It could not become an alternative choice to confront against the leading coalition,” said the draft, requiring the CDPJ to recognize its responsibility as the biggest opposition party.

 

The confederation also accused consumption tax cut. The CDPJ promoted 0 percent of consumption tax for foods in the Upper House election, while the DPP held a policy to cut the tax by half, from 10 percent to 5 percent. “Inclination to consumption tax cut made us difficult to explain about the policy to our members,” says the draft. Rengo has been explaining to its members that consumption tax is indispensable for supporting social security in our society with extremely aging and low birth rate.

 

The greatest problem for Rengo is deep division between the CDPJ and DPP. As it made significant increase of their seats in the Upper House, the DPP takes distance from the CDPJ. Its leader, Yuichiro Tamaki, indicated his interest in a possible opportunity to be the prime minister, with support of the LDP. “It is definitely unacceptable for us that the CDPJ and DPP will be separated into the leading party and the opposition,” says the draft.

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