 Unions are set to take offensive for wage increase and better working conditions The National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) and unions which have no national affiliation forming the 2005 Joint Spring Struggle Committee on January 13 held a meeting of union representatives and adopted their common policy for the 2005 People's Spring Struggle. Zenroren President Kumagai Kanemichi stated, "We will urge large corporation to fulfill their social responsibility and demand a wage increase for all workers and better working conditions for the increasing number of contingent workers, including part-timers and temps." He also called on union leaders to carry out activities in a way that is visible to the general public. The committee calls for an across-the-board pay raise of 10,000 yen a month and 50 yen per hour for hourly workers. It demands that every worker be paid a minimum of 150,000 yen (about 1,400 US dollars) a month. In this year's Spring Struggle, unions are facing new attacks from corporate Japan, which publicly calls for an end to the spring struggle, replacing it with a "spring discussion" aimed at holding down wages. Business leaders are also demanding that the government directive calling for the elimination of unpaid overtime work be revoked. (end) |