with banners, sloganeering, and dances aimed more at being a show of force than a crippling job action. Meanwhile, serious discussions take place between the union officers and corporate managers to determine pay and benefit adjustments. During downturns, or when management tries to reduce the number of permanent employees, strikes often occur. The number of working days lost to labor disputes peaked in the economic turmoil of 1974 and 1975 at around 9 million workdays in the two-year period. In 1979, however, there were fewer than 1 million days lost. Since 1981 the average number of days lost per worker each year to disputes was just over 9% of the number lost in the United States. After 1975, when the economy entered a period of slower growth, annual wage increases moderated and labor relations were conciliatory. During the 1980s, workers received pay hikes that on average closely reflected the real growth of GNP for the preceding year. In 1989, for example, workers received an average 5.1% pay hike, while GNP growth had averaged 5% between 1987 and 1989. The moderate trend continued in the early 1990s as the country's national labor federations were reorganizing themselves. Unions Extant National Trade Union Council (Zenrokyo) Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) National Union of General Workers General Union Kyabakura Union Japan Teachers Union (Nikkyoso) University Teachers Union Zenkoku Ippan Tokyo General Union (Tozen) Formerly extant Sanbetsu Sōhyō See also Workplace Japanese employment law Japanese work environment Black company (Japanese term) Workers Japanese blue collar workers Salaryman, Japanese white collar worker Office lady Labor actions Anpo protests Miike Struggle References Citations Works cited External links National RENGO (en) ZENROREN (en) ZENROKYO (ja) Local General Union (Osaka and Nagoya areas) (en) Kanagawa City Union (ja) Tokyo NAMBU (ja/en) Zenkoku Ippan Tokyo General Union (Tozen) (en) Zentoitsu Workers Union (Ueno-Okachimachi, Tokyo) (ja) Labor in Japan