Japan Press Weekly

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2013 November 6 - 12 [LABOR]

Medical workers walk out demanding higher pay and shorter working hours

More than 210 healthcare-related unions across Japan under the Japan Federation of Medical Workers’ Unions (Iroren) took concerted actions on November 7, including strikes, demanding an increase in seasonal bonuses and better working conditions.

Iroren-affiliated unions had submitted to their managements their demands for higher year-end allowances, a drastic increase in the number of workers, tighter rules on night shift work, and shorter working hours, and demanded responses from the managements by no later than November 6.

The outcome that the unions obtained showed that 70% of unions won managements’ decision to pay more year-end bonuses than last year. Managements’ response to the other 30% was to lower the amount of year-end bonuses than the previous year by using as an excuse negative factors such as the impact from the planned consumption tax increase.

Iroren union workers at all Japan Red Cross hospitals throughout the country took part in a one-hour strike in the early morning hours in protest against the JRC headquarters’ refusal to respond to the union’s demands.

More than 400 members of the Iroren Tokyo prefectural organization also staged a one-hour walkout at five medical institutions.

A participant said, “My monthly salary is less than 200,000 yen despite my five-years devotion as a medical worker.”

Iroren Chair Yamada Mamiko said, “To secure decent wages will create conditions for medical and nursing-care workers to provide optimal services. Furthermore, an increase in their wages will help Japan to overcome the current deflationary economy.”