ID :
38991
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 20:38
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/38991
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Labor seeks job stability, wage hikes, management sees hard year
TOKYO, Jan. 5 Kyodo - Labor and management began the year's business Monday with the former seeking
both employment stability and wage hikes, and the latter stressing the prospect
of a hard year ahead.
''If we do not demand both wage (hikes) and job (stability), we will not be
able to put (the economy) back on track for recovery,'' Tsuyoshi Takagi, head
of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation known as Rengo, said in a new year
press conference in Tokyo.
Many labor unions are expected to demand sharp pay increases this year, but
management is reluctant to allow wage hikes due to the economic slowdown.
The presidents of many of the nation's leading companies delivered harsh New
Year's speeches to employees on Monday, the first business day of the year.
In this spring's annual ''shunto'' or spring offensive wage bargaining, Rengo
plans to demand basic wage hikes for the first time in eight years.
In December, Rengo decided to demand increases to meet price rises after
prolonged deflation. It expects the rate of increase in consumer prices to
stand at about 1.5 percent for fiscal 2008 ending this March.
''Some may question why we are demanding wage hikes in the current situation,
yet we have no choice but to urge both employment stability and increases in
pay,'' Takagi said.
''How can we expect domestic demand to increase when household income is
dwindling?'' he said, adding that he views wage hikes as ''the surest way'' to
revive the Japanese economy.
As for the increasing number of job cuts especially among non-regular
employees, Takagi said company management ''should be able to do something
before dismissing them.''
In mid-December, the Japan Business Federation, known as Nippon Keidanren,
released a report on management and labor policy that serves as guidance for
management in wage negotiations with labor unions in the spring bargaining.
In the report, the federation said that labor and management should share a
sense of emergency amid the global economic downturn.
Takagi said the report was ''passive on both wages and employment.''
==Kyodo
both employment stability and wage hikes, and the latter stressing the prospect
of a hard year ahead.
''If we do not demand both wage (hikes) and job (stability), we will not be
able to put (the economy) back on track for recovery,'' Tsuyoshi Takagi, head
of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation known as Rengo, said in a new year
press conference in Tokyo.
Many labor unions are expected to demand sharp pay increases this year, but
management is reluctant to allow wage hikes due to the economic slowdown.
The presidents of many of the nation's leading companies delivered harsh New
Year's speeches to employees on Monday, the first business day of the year.
In this spring's annual ''shunto'' or spring offensive wage bargaining, Rengo
plans to demand basic wage hikes for the first time in eight years.
In December, Rengo decided to demand increases to meet price rises after
prolonged deflation. It expects the rate of increase in consumer prices to
stand at about 1.5 percent for fiscal 2008 ending this March.
''Some may question why we are demanding wage hikes in the current situation,
yet we have no choice but to urge both employment stability and increases in
pay,'' Takagi said.
''How can we expect domestic demand to increase when household income is
dwindling?'' he said, adding that he views wage hikes as ''the surest way'' to
revive the Japanese economy.
As for the increasing number of job cuts especially among non-regular
employees, Takagi said company management ''should be able to do something
before dismissing them.''
In mid-December, the Japan Business Federation, known as Nippon Keidanren,
released a report on management and labor policy that serves as guidance for
management in wage negotiations with labor unions in the spring bargaining.
In the report, the federation said that labor and management should share a
sense of emergency amid the global economic downturn.
Takagi said the report was ''passive on both wages and employment.''
==Kyodo
