Metalworkers’ Unions Demand Pay-Scale Hike of 14,638 Yen

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)–An umbrella organization for labor unions in the automotive, electronics and three other industries in Japan said that as of Monday, member unions were demanding an average monthly pay-scale increase of 14,638 yen per month in this year’s “shunto” spring labor-management wage negotiations. The figure is up 489 yen from the average hike requested a year earlier and the highest since comparable data became available in 2014, according to a tally released by the umbrella body, the Japan Council of Metalworkers’ Unions, on Wednesday. “The outcome shows the unions’ strong will to lead the shunto talks,” JCM head Akihiro Kaneko told a news conference. The organization will “focus relentlessly on results” to achieve wage increases that exceed those of the previous year, he said. The tally covered 1,719 unions, or 56.9 pct of the 3,020 affiliated unions that had already submitted their demands. The average pay-scale hike demand stood at 15,166 yen for large unions with 1,000 members or more, and at 14,393 yen for small unions with 299 members or less. The year-on-year increase was 537 yen at small unions, surpassing the 486 yen rise at large unions. Among JCM-affiliated unions, the Japanese Association of Metal, Machinery and Manufacturing Workers separately said Wednesday that its member unions were demanding a pay-scale hike of 15,551 yen on average, marking a record high. JAM head Katahiro Yasukochi said, “Small unions have also been making sturdy demands.” The JCM has adopted a policy for its member unions to ask for a pay scale hike of at least 12,000 yen per month in this year’s shunto negotiations. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]