Japan: 2 postal labor unions to merge

The All Japan Postal Labor Union launched its national assembly Wednesday with a view to voting Friday on whether to merge with the Japan Postal Workers’ Union, or JPU, upon the planned privatization of the postal system in October.

The JPU will also consider the proposed merger at its national convention due to start Tuesday in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture. The merger would create the nation’s largest labor union with around 220,000 members. The merged union would surpass the All NTT Workers Union of Japan, an 180,000-strong group representing employees of the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp group.