INTERVIEW: Electronics Unions Hope to Lead Wage Hikes in Japan

Tokyo, March 1 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese Electrical, Electronic and Information Union aims to take the lead in pushing up salary levels in this year’s “shunto” spring wage negotiations with management, the group’s leader has said. “We’ll work hard to be a driving force,” Masashi Jinbo, head of the umbrella body for labor unions at electronics makers, said in a recent interview, expressing his commitment to achieving wage increases that outpace rising living costs. Despite sizable pay hikes achieved in recent shunto talks, Jinbo stressed that the rises have yet to catch up with inflation, saying, “Workers are increasingly worried about the difficulty of living and the future.” The umbrella body has set a unified demand for a pay scale hike of at least 18,000 yen per month in the 2026 shunto. This is the highest since the start of comparable data in 1998, exceeding last year’s demand of at least 17,000 yen. Regarding the negotiation environment, Jinbo said, “Generally speaking, (management) understands the importance of wage hikes.” Noting that Japanese wage levels remain low by international standards, he added: “Maturing of employees is essential for corporate growth. Labor and management need to discuss what kind of treatment is appropriate.” In the electronics industry, even profitable companies are soliciting voluntary early retirement to push ahead with business structural reform. Jinbo emphasized that management should clearly explain the necessity of such programs. “Unless the fairness, transparency and persuasiveness (of the programs) are secured, companies will lose their uniting force and attractiveness, which would affect their growth.” He also said that labor unions need to check whether early retirement programs are operated appropriately. In the electronics sector, labor unions at major companies wage a joint campaign, making a uniform pay demand and following the same negotiation schedule. They submitted their requests to management in mid-February, with replies from management expected to peak in mid-March. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]