Japan dockworkers adapt to increased automation

The National Federation of Dockworkers Unions of Japan (Zenkoku-Kowan) says dockworkers at Japanese ports have adapted to increased electrification and automation at Japanese ports.

However, wages and volumes have declined as Japanese manufacturing has shifted offshore, according to union officials.

Major container ports in Japan include Yokohama, Kobe, and Osaka.

In an interview with AJOT, dockworker leaders Hajime Takeuchi, President Central Executive Board (Zenkoku-Kowan), and Seiichi Suzuki, President, All Japan Dockworkers Union (Zenkowen), led a discussion with fellow union leaders organized by Peter Olney, retired Director of Organizing, International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) based in San Francisco and Keisuke Fuse, Deputy Secretary General National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) based in Tokyo on March 17th.

Carbon Neutral and the Union

Takeuchi said that in 2018 the union had agreed to increased automation of operations that has resulted in more cargo-handling equipment becoming electrified and deployment of some remote-controlled vehicles. However, he said “We have not seen a loss in manning …workforce numbers remain the same.”

This has been accompanied by a Carbon Neutral Port Policy to reduce emissions and reduce internal combustion engines in favor of electric powered vehicles and hybrid-powered vehicles such as transtainer cranes that are used to stack containers.

The development of shore power for ships, has been mandated at California ports, and requires ships to turn off their engines and run so-called ‘hotel’ operations when in port. This requires shore based electrical power that reduces emissions. This process has just begun in Japan, Takeuchi said, under a pilot project.

Suzuki said that when he went to work on the docks forty years ago, workers’ pay and benefits were much better than they are today: “We have lost ground in the last forty years since I joined the union. The effect of deflation over the last thirty years has caused Japanese wages and prices to decline. Also, over that period, manufacturing shifted away from Japan and to Korea, Southeast Asia and China.”

Ports such as Busan (Korea), Singapore and Shanghai have gained ground on the Japanese ports because more manufacturing has moved there and away from Japan and this has impacted Japanese port volumes and jobs.

Recruiting a New Generation

Takeuchi said that it has been difficult to recruit younger workers, because working on the docks is manual labor and to make money today workers need to work overtime: “For many younger workers this is not attractive and so few stay around. They want a job that is less physical and pays more.”

The Japanese dock workers union lacks the union dispatched hiring hall that supports unionized ILWU labor on the US West Coast and, partly as a result, full time dock workers in Japan make about 25% of what full time ILWU dockworkers make in the United States. Living standards in Japan are somewhat cheaper compared to the United States so the difference is not quite as large as the numbers suggest, Suzuki said.

The union leaders said that the dockworkers strongly oppose military use of commercial port operations and oppose militarism in Japan and elsewhere.

This is why the union took strong exception to statements by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to the effect that she and Japan oppose Chinese aggression against Taiwan: “We oppose the provocative statements made by Prime Minister Takaichi in reference to China and Taiwan,” Takeuchi said because diplomatic methods are more likely to keep the peace.