Minimum wages will be increased

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Minimum wages will be increased

The national average of the minimum hourly wage will be increased by 17 yen to 730 yen, the largest increase since 2002.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare on September 10 released the amounts of revised regional (prefectural) minimum wages. The revised minimum hourly wages will take effect in October.

Among the revised regional minimum wages, the highest is Tokyo's 821 yen, while the lowest is 642 yen in eight prefectures, including Kochi, Tottori, and Okinawa.

The National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) has been pointing out that a minimum wage hike is necessary to help deal with the rising poverty issue and to revitalize local economies, and public demand and the efforts by workers and unions have realized the increase in minimum wages.

However, although the increase in the minimum wage was substantial, it is far from the workers' demand for an increase in the minimum hourly wage to 1,000 yen.

The Minimum Wage Law states that the minimum wage should be set above the welfare assistance benefits. The regional minimum wage in 12 prefectures, including Tokyo, is lower than the amount received in welfare assistance benefits. Out of these 12 prefectures, in seven prefectures, including Saitama, Chiba, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hyogo, this year's revised minimum wage will finally exceed the amount in welfare assistance benefits.

- Akahata, September, 11, 2010