Japan Basic Industries Union to Seek 15,000-Yen Pay Scale Hike

Tokyo, Feb. 4 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Federation of Basic Industry Workers’ Unions decided Wednesday to demand a monthly pay scale increase of 15,000 yen in this year’s “shunto” spring wage negotiations. The unified demand is at the same level as the previous year, which was a record high, to cope with price increases and labor shortages. “This is the necessary level to sustain wage growth exceeding inflation,” Masao Tsumura, head of the federation’s central committee, said at the day’s meeting. Member unions will submit their pay demands to management on Friday. Given the difference in business performance between heavy machinery makers and steelmakers facing sluggish markets, the federation said that member unions “should recognize differences in their situations and allow each other to set demands flexibly.” Labor unions at heavy machinery makers Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. and IHI Corp. plan to demand a monthly pay scale increase of 16,000 yen, reflecting strong orders related to the defense industry. The federation had set uniform pay demands on a biennial basis for wage negotiations. It switched to annual demands due to uncertain economic conditions starting with the 2024 shunto talks. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]