January 15, 2015
About 450 union workers on January 14 rallied outside the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) headquarters in Tokyo, under the flag of the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren), one of the two major national trade centers in Japan, starting the campaign to succeed in the annual labor-management wage talks.
Prior to the action, they marched in demonstration through Tokyo’s busiest business district which is lined with many of the head offices of large corporations.
The People’s Spring Struggle Joint Committee consisting of Zenroren, independent trade unions, and local labor unions will call for a monthly wage increase of 20,000 yen and an hourly wage increase of 150 yen to include all workers as the goal of this year’s wage struggle.
Major corporations in the auto, electrical machinery, and steel industries normally give a response to union demands in March, serving as benchmarks for subsequent pay raise decisions by other companies.
Zenroren President Odagawa Yoshikazu said, “Workers’ real wages are decreasing. Poverty and social disparities are increasing. By using just a small portion of the vast amount of internal reserves, large companies can fulfill their social responsibility for workers and smaller businesses.”
Ohashi Takayuki, a union worker in the printing and publishing industry, said, “The company I work for pays lower wages to union members and tells us to contribute to the company by working overtime. I will do my best in the spring offensive to win decent working conditions.”
Nakagawa Satoshi of a municipal workers’ union said, “The increase in the consumption tax rate has had a negative influence on public finance and local economies.”
Ikeda Kazuyo, a union member at Japan’s leading cosmetic maker Shiseido, said, “The company prefers to hire temporary employees because Shiseido can easily dismiss them. Under this situation, many women workers cannot continue to advance in their careers.”
Past related articles:
> Court shuts its eyes to Shiseido’s unjust dismissal of temps [July 11, 2014]
> Workers at major online printing company form union local [March 2, 2014]
Prior to the action, they marched in demonstration through Tokyo’s busiest business district which is lined with many of the head offices of large corporations.
The People’s Spring Struggle Joint Committee consisting of Zenroren, independent trade unions, and local labor unions will call for a monthly wage increase of 20,000 yen and an hourly wage increase of 150 yen to include all workers as the goal of this year’s wage struggle.
Major corporations in the auto, electrical machinery, and steel industries normally give a response to union demands in March, serving as benchmarks for subsequent pay raise decisions by other companies.
Zenroren President Odagawa Yoshikazu said, “Workers’ real wages are decreasing. Poverty and social disparities are increasing. By using just a small portion of the vast amount of internal reserves, large companies can fulfill their social responsibility for workers and smaller businesses.”
Ohashi Takayuki, a union worker in the printing and publishing industry, said, “The company I work for pays lower wages to union members and tells us to contribute to the company by working overtime. I will do my best in the spring offensive to win decent working conditions.”
Nakagawa Satoshi of a municipal workers’ union said, “The increase in the consumption tax rate has had a negative influence on public finance and local economies.”
Ikeda Kazuyo, a union member at Japan’s leading cosmetic maker Shiseido, said, “The company prefers to hire temporary employees because Shiseido can easily dismiss them. Under this situation, many women workers cannot continue to advance in their careers.”
Past related articles:
> Court shuts its eyes to Shiseido’s unjust dismissal of temps [July 11, 2014]
> Workers at major online printing company form union local [March 2, 2014]
