JAM to Demand Record Pay-Scale Hike in 2025 Shunto

Tokyo, Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese Association of Metal, Machinery and Manufacturing Workers, or JAM, would seek an unprecedented pay-scale increase of "15,000 yen or more" per month in next spring's "shunto" wage negotiations, it was learned Thursday.

The umbrella body for labor unions at smaller manufacturers will lift its base-salary hike target from the previous year's "standard 12,000 yen" to narrow the wide wage gap with major makers, according to people familiar with the shunto strategy-making process at JAM, which comprises some 2,000 unions with roughly 390,000 members.

The proposed pay-scale increase demand, which will push up member unions' final requests for wage hikes including regular increases to at least 19,500 yen, would be officially adopted in January after a central debate session in December.

The Japan Council of Metal Workers' Unions, which puts JAM under its wing, is going to set "12,000 yen or more" as the uniform pay-scale hike demand to be made by member labor organizations.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, the country's national trade union center known as Rengo, will urge unions at small and midsize companies to achieve increases of "18,000 yen or more" in monthly wages including base salaries.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]