Japan Press Weekly

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2016 June 15 - 21 [LABOR]

Labor ministry council begins discussing minimum wage hike

The Labor Ministry’s Central Council on Minimum Wage on June 14 started deliberations on its annual recommendation for an increase in regional minimum wages. The focal point of the deliberations is whether the council will offer a recommendation closer to workers’ demand for an increase to 1,000 yen-1,500 yen.

In Japan, regional minimum wages will ultimately be determined by each local council based on the central council’s recommendation. The current national average of the hourly minimum wage is 798 yen. The highest minimum wage is Tokyo’s 907 yen, while the lowest is 693 yen in four prefectures: Tottori, Kochi, Miyazaki, and Okinawa. Minimum wages in 11 other prefectures also stand at the 600 yen level and in 24 prefectures at the 700 yen level.

With the July Upper House election approaching, Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has begun showing his support for a minimum wage hike, and the government set a target of increasing regional minimum wages to 800 yen per hour on average by 2020.

However, the 800-yen target would still be far from the amount needed, a survey shows.

The National Confederation of Trade Unions conducted the survey on the minimum cost of living. The survey results showed that the hourly earnings ranging from 1,407 yen to 1,677 yen is necessary to cover basic needs.

Based on the survey, Zenroren pointed out that a minimum wage of 1,500 yen is requisite for decent living conditions, and demanded that the minimum wage be raised to at least 1,000 yen right now. The Japanese Trade Unions Confederation (Rengo) is also working to raise the minimum hourly wage to 1,000 yen as soon as possible.

A movement led by a youth group, AEQUITAS, calling for a minimum wage increase to 1,500 yen has spread nationwide.

The Japanese Communist Party is proposing that an immediate minimum wage hike to 1,000 yen nationwide be achieved in tandem with direct support for small- and medium-sized enterprises.

The next council session will be held after the July 10 House of Councilors election. Opposition forces’ victory and a major JCP advance are important for a drastic increase in the minimum wage.

Past related articles:
> Unions hold rally to make higher minimum wage major issue in Upper House election [May 18, 2016]
> Young Japanese workers join in global day of action for minimum wage hike [April 16, 2016]