March 3, 2023

The National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) and the People's Spring Struggle Joint Committee, in the Lower House members' office building on March 2, handed to opposition party lawmakers 148,130 signatures calling for a nationwide across-the-board minimum wage.

The submission of the signatures was part of the day of action with a variety of events, rallies, and demonstrations taking place mainly in Tokyo's government district of Kasumigaseki, demanding an increase of 10% in wages as well as the introduction of a nationwide uniform minimum wage system.

Japanese Communist Party Vice Chairs Kurabayashi Akiko (House of Councilors) and Tamura Tomoko (House of Councilors) and JCP members of the House of Representatives Tamura Takaaki and Miyamoto Toru received the signatures, along with parliamentarians from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and of the Okinawa Whirlwind.

Representative of the Joint Committee Sunayama Taichi said, "Anywhere in Japan, the minimum cost of living is not much different. We want politicians to strive to work for a law revision so that the uniform minimum wage system can be implemented." Zenroren Vice President Akiyama Masaomi demanded that the government support for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) be improved in addition to enacting a substantial increase in minimum wages.

Zenroren President Obata Masako at a rally held at Hibiya Amphitheater said, "Let us work to increase public opinion calling for a 10% hike in wages in order for our lives to be protected from the ongoing price rise." JCP Vice Chair Tamura Tomoko delivered a speech in solidarity and expressed her determination: "Together with the effort to achieve a 1,500-yen minimum wage, the JCP will be committed to working hard to implement SME measures to reduce their share of payment for social insurance premiums and to provide subsidies to help them offer higher wages." After the rally, participants marched in demonstration to the Diet building.