Concerted action calling for 1,000 yen minimum hourly wage for contingent workers

A concerted action calling for minimum hourly wage standards to be increased to 1,000 yen (8 dollars) for part-time and temporary workers, took place on June 20 in Tokyo and other places.

Regional minimum hourly wage standards presently are set by prefecture and are as low as 604 yen (4.9 dollars) to 708 yen (5.7 dollars).

The action, aimed at a higher wage base for regular as well as part time and other contingency workers, was jointly organized by the Joint Struggle council for Victory of People's Spring Labor Offensive and the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren).

Braving the rain, about 150 workers carried out a sit-in in front of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry Building in Tokyo. The main points of their petition are: (1) Regional minimum wage standards be increased to 1,000 yen for hourly wages and 7,400 yen for daily wages; (2) gaps between regions be narrowed.

Kokubu Takeshi, Zenroren deputy secretary general, addressed the rally, saying, "The struggle to achieve a higher wage base in regional economies is called for, when unstable employment such as part time labor is increasing."

A young worker from Kanagawa prefecture talked about his "experiment" of living on the legal minimum wage for a month. He said, "Two slices of bread and a cup of soup is all I had for lunch. I lost 4 kilograms in weight. I want HLW ministry officials to try it."

In many localities, workers carried out signature collection campaigns, petitioned to municipal offices, and negotiated with business organizations. (end)