Yūaikai
The Yūaikai (友愛 会) - " Comradely Association", founded by Suzuki Bunji in 1912, was an association to promote the welfare of workers.
history
In August 1912, Suzuki Bunji (1885-1946) founded a mutual aid association, the Yūaikai. From the initial 13 workers who were involved in its creation, the company gradually grew and included both sides: both workers and intellectuals. The Yūaikai developed various welfare activities related to health, education and legal advice, and established branches outside of Tokyo. In 1914 the association had 2,451 members, a division for women was established in 1916, and by the spring of 1917 the Yūaikai had over 20,000 members, then 30,000 in 1918.
The magazine "Yūai Shimpō" has been published regularly since 1912. (友愛 新 報) “Yūai News”, which in 1914 was named “Rōdō oyobi Sagyō” (労 働 及 び -) - “Work and Industry”. While the focus was on mutual support and the balance between labor and capital in the founding phase, the association then increasingly became a more politically active workers' organization, which was now also involved in strikes.
The association wavered in its activities between advocating for a stronger union and fear of repression by the government. During Suzuki's absence in 1918, the side that called for more political activity grew stronger. And so when Suzuki returned, the union line had prevailed, which Suzuki then accepted. He remained one of the leading personalities.
On the new line of the association was the rejection of the Kyōchōkai, and in 1919 the name was changed to "Dainihon Rōdō Sōdōmei yūkai" (大 日本 労 働 総 同盟 友愛 会) - "General Workers' Association of Greater Japan - Yūaikai". She sat down u. a. for the freedom to organize unions and for an eight-hour day. In 1921 the addition "Yūaikai" was dispensed with and, as "Nihon Rōdō Sōdomei", it was one of the great workers' associations between the world wars. After the Second World War, your concern was carried on by other workers' organizations.
A museum on the history of the Yūai trade union movement (友愛 労 働 歴 史館, Yūai Rōdō Rekishi-kan) was inaugurated in Tokyo for the centenary.
Remarks
- ↑ Kyōchōkai (協調 会) was an attempt by Interior Minister Tokonami Takejirō in 1919 to bring entrepreneurs, workers and government to work together.
Individual evidence
literature
- S. Noma (Ed.): Yūaikai . In: Japan. An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Kodansha, 1993, ISBN 4-06-205938-X
- Hunter, Janet: Yūaikai . In: Concise Dictionary of Modern Japanese History. Kodansha International, 1984. ISBN 4-7700-1193-8 .