November 2, 2016
The Aichi Prefectural Assembly in the latest session closed on October 14, unanimously adopted a written opinion calling for an increase in minimum wages. This outcome reflected the fact that the Japanese Communist Party regained its seats in the assembly in last year’s election after a twelve-year absence.
The written opinion demands that the national government take immediate steps to realize a minimum hourly wage of 1,000 yen and take measures to help small- and medium-sized businesses implement higher wages. Shimo’oku Naho, one of the two JCP assembly members, said that the adoption of this statement is rare among the prefectural assemblies in Japan. The Aichi Prefectural Assembly adopted a written opinion calling for a wage hike for the first time in nearly 30 years, according to the assembly secretariat.
Chizaki Koji of the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren)-affiliated Aichi Federation of Trade Unions issued a comment. In the comment he said that the adopted statement will give momentum to Aichi workers’ movements for higher wages. He added, “We will step up our efforts for next year’s reassessment of the regional minimum wage.”
“The presence of the JCP assembly members has brought about a favorable change to other assembly members’ attitudes,” said Nakamura Wataru who heads an Aichi residents’ group for better public nursing-care services. He pointed out that the prefectural assembly in the latest session also adopted a written opinion opposing the central government’s plan to adversely revise the nursing-care insurance system. Nakamura stressed that until the JCP recaptured seats last year, no assembly member had taken his group’s petitions seriously.
Past related articles:
> Labor ministry’s panel proposal only widens regional minimum wage gaps [July 28, 2016]
> JCP issues statement on its major gains in 1st half of local elections [April 14, 2015]
The written opinion demands that the national government take immediate steps to realize a minimum hourly wage of 1,000 yen and take measures to help small- and medium-sized businesses implement higher wages. Shimo’oku Naho, one of the two JCP assembly members, said that the adoption of this statement is rare among the prefectural assemblies in Japan. The Aichi Prefectural Assembly adopted a written opinion calling for a wage hike for the first time in nearly 30 years, according to the assembly secretariat.
Chizaki Koji of the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren)-affiliated Aichi Federation of Trade Unions issued a comment. In the comment he said that the adopted statement will give momentum to Aichi workers’ movements for higher wages. He added, “We will step up our efforts for next year’s reassessment of the regional minimum wage.”
“The presence of the JCP assembly members has brought about a favorable change to other assembly members’ attitudes,” said Nakamura Wataru who heads an Aichi residents’ group for better public nursing-care services. He pointed out that the prefectural assembly in the latest session also adopted a written opinion opposing the central government’s plan to adversely revise the nursing-care insurance system. Nakamura stressed that until the JCP recaptured seats last year, no assembly member had taken his group’s petitions seriously.
Past related articles:
> Labor ministry’s panel proposal only widens regional minimum wage gaps [July 28, 2016]
> JCP issues statement on its major gains in 1st half of local elections [April 14, 2015]
