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2,000 workers call for higher minimum wage

Just when the Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry's Council on Minimum Wages was meeting to discuss revising the figures for FY 2005 on June 24, about 2,000 workers carried out a demonstration near the ministry building, calling for a higher minimum wage and equal treatment of part-time workers with full time regular workers.

The workers are members of trade unions affiliated with the National Trade Union Confederation (Zenroren). They took part in a 3-hour sit-in and made representations to the relevant ministries and agencies. The action is the second this year, proposed by Zenroren and the spring struggle joint struggle committee.

Tsurushima Hiroyuki, a member of the Zenroren-affiliated National Union of General Workers, said, "We can't tolerate the government's schemes to cut the livelihood protection allowance by alleging that it exceeds the minimum wage, and then tries to cut wages of public employees aimed at wage cuts in the private sector." Demonstrators carried placards reading "Equal treatment is the world's common sense."

The line of demonstrators filled up the 300-meter distance from the labor ministry to the National Personnel Authority overseeing the salaries of public employees.

Zenroren Secretary General Bannai Mitsuo said, "Let's foil the attempt to cut public employee wages by concerted efforts from public and private sector workers." Akahata June 25, 2005