Japan Press Weekly

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2008 June 18 - 24 [LABOR]

Unions stage action demanding minimum wage increase to 1,000 yen

With the nation’s minimum wages currently set by region to be assessed by the Central Council on Minimum Wage at its annual review meeting, the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) and independent unions in the People’s Spring Struggle Joint Struggle Committee held a day of action on June 20 in Tokyo to demand that the minimum wage be increased to 1,000 yen or more per hour.

This year’s review meeting will be the first since the Minimum Wage Law was amended to include the constitutional provision for the citizens’ rights to live (Article 25).

At 8:00 a.m., 38 union members converged on the Labor Ministry to start a hunger strike demanding a raise of the minimum wage in order to ensure that every worker can live a decent life.

One placard read: “The minimum wage of 1,000 yen per hour will enable me to live in an apartment.”

The national average of the minimum wage is 687 yen per hour at present.

Odagawa Yoshikazu, Zenroren secretary-general, said, “The present average starting pay is even lower than the welfare assistance benefits. We will demand an increase in the starting pay for employees as well as an increase in the minimum wage.” - Akahata, June 21, 2008