Zenroren union leaders discuss new ways to win wage increase in 2004 Spring Struggle

Leaders of trade unions affiliated with the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) met in Tokyo on September 17 to discuss effective new ways to win a wage increase in the 2004 Spring Struggle.

Zenroren President Kumagai Kanemichi in his opening speech stated, "The major question is what real wages are, and the task now is for us to work out a new strategy that matches the sentiments of the wage earners and other working people."

In the keynote speech Oki Hisashi, who chairs Zenroren's panel on wage increase struggles, warned against the united effort of the government and business circles to destroy the present wage system and basic social services, and carry out a regressive reform of the tax system. In particular, he pointed out that the vicious circle of wage cuts in the private sector is related to the National Personnel Authority Recommendation for wages to be held down.

"In this situation, many workers tend to think that it is fortunate for them to just keep their jobs," said Oki.

Oki emphasized that the labor movement must strengthen its cooperation with all strata of people in the effort to have large corporations fulfill their corporate social responsibilities and have the government play its part in accomplishing this.

The assembly concluded that unions in the 2004 Spring Struggle should demand the minimum wage be set at 1,000 yen per hour, 7,400 yen daily, and 150,000 yen monthly, and seek to eliminate wage disparity between part-timers and full-time workers and between men and women as well as raise smaller company workers' wages which are currently about 50-70 percent of those of workers in large corporations. (end)