January 18, 2012
Unions of the 2012 People’s Spring Struggle Joint Committee on January 17 kicked off this year’s spring wage offensive with a nationwide day of action calling for expansion of domestic demand through a wage increase and putting a halt to a consumption tax hike.
In front of the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) building in Tokyo’s Marunouchi business district, 500 unionists of the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) along with members of other independent unions assembled to hold a rally and shouted, “Strengthen the economy through a wage hike! Use large corporations’ internal reserves to benefit workers!”
Zenroren President Daikoku Sakuji criticized Keidanren member companies for intending to deny workers’ wage hike demands by using the high exchange value of the yen and post-disaster reconstruction efforts as excuses. He pointed out that 60 trillion yen of the total of 266 trillion yen in internal reserve funds are reserved as a form of cash on hand. Daikoku expressed his determination to achieve domestic demand-led growth and economic recovery by achieving a wage increase through the utilization of the cash on hand among big companies and blocking a consumption tax increase.
A group of seven members of the Sony workers’ union Sendai branch in disaster-hit Miyagi Prefecture also took part in the rally. They are fighting against Sony by demanding a retraction of its decision to withdraw from Miyagi and calling for revocation of their dismissals under the guise of disaster damage.
Using a microphone, one of the seven members said, “Sony’s Vice Chairman Chubachi Ryoji is a member of the government’s Reconstruction Design Council, and Sony pays an annual wage of about 900 million yen to Chairman Howard Stringer. Sony must use its internal reserves to benefit workers and maintain jobs!”
Earlier on the same day, about 300 workers gathered in front of the Labor Ministry building to call for public support for a minimum wage increase and opposition to the consumption tax hike.
A member of the All-Japan Federation of Automobile Transport Workers’ Unions (Jiko-soren) said, “An increase in the consumption tax rate would drastically decrease taxi users. I absolutely oppose the tax hike! The government should increase the taxes on companies making big profits.”
In Osaka, union activists in the early morning carried out publicity actions as part of the day of action at various locations, including at railway stations. They took to the streets in Osaka’s shopping districts calling on passers-by to support workers by demanding that big businesses use their internal reserves to increase workers’ wages and orders to small- and medium-sized businesses. The participants also made representations to the Kansai Economic Federation (Kankeiren).
When union representatives visited Kankeiren, a delegate of the Osaka Federation of Trade Unions (Osaka-roren) pointed out that the total amount of wages of workers in the Kansai region’s six prefectures decreased by 5 trillion yen from the 2000 level and that 40% of all workers in the Kansai region are contingent workers. He said that to increase workers’ wages and to provide full-time positions to non-regular workers is the most efficient way to revitalize the Kansai region’s economy.
In front of the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) building in Tokyo’s Marunouchi business district, 500 unionists of the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) along with members of other independent unions assembled to hold a rally and shouted, “Strengthen the economy through a wage hike! Use large corporations’ internal reserves to benefit workers!”
Zenroren President Daikoku Sakuji criticized Keidanren member companies for intending to deny workers’ wage hike demands by using the high exchange value of the yen and post-disaster reconstruction efforts as excuses. He pointed out that 60 trillion yen of the total of 266 trillion yen in internal reserve funds are reserved as a form of cash on hand. Daikoku expressed his determination to achieve domestic demand-led growth and economic recovery by achieving a wage increase through the utilization of the cash on hand among big companies and blocking a consumption tax increase.
A group of seven members of the Sony workers’ union Sendai branch in disaster-hit Miyagi Prefecture also took part in the rally. They are fighting against Sony by demanding a retraction of its decision to withdraw from Miyagi and calling for revocation of their dismissals under the guise of disaster damage.
Using a microphone, one of the seven members said, “Sony’s Vice Chairman Chubachi Ryoji is a member of the government’s Reconstruction Design Council, and Sony pays an annual wage of about 900 million yen to Chairman Howard Stringer. Sony must use its internal reserves to benefit workers and maintain jobs!”
Earlier on the same day, about 300 workers gathered in front of the Labor Ministry building to call for public support for a minimum wage increase and opposition to the consumption tax hike.
A member of the All-Japan Federation of Automobile Transport Workers’ Unions (Jiko-soren) said, “An increase in the consumption tax rate would drastically decrease taxi users. I absolutely oppose the tax hike! The government should increase the taxes on companies making big profits.”
In Osaka, union activists in the early morning carried out publicity actions as part of the day of action at various locations, including at railway stations. They took to the streets in Osaka’s shopping districts calling on passers-by to support workers by demanding that big businesses use their internal reserves to increase workers’ wages and orders to small- and medium-sized businesses. The participants also made representations to the Kansai Economic Federation (Kankeiren).
When union representatives visited Kankeiren, a delegate of the Osaka Federation of Trade Unions (Osaka-roren) pointed out that the total amount of wages of workers in the Kansai region’s six prefectures decreased by 5 trillion yen from the 2000 level and that 40% of all workers in the Kansai region are contingent workers. He said that to increase workers’ wages and to provide full-time positions to non-regular workers is the most efficient way to revitalize the Kansai region’s economy.
