Automotive Unions Aiming to Get 5 More Days Off in 2025 "Shunto"

Tokyo, Jan. 19 (Jiji Press)--The Confederation of Japan Automobile Workers' Unions, or JAW, has decided to seek five more days off a year in the 2025 "shunto" labor-management negotiations in spring.

Most automakers and auto parts makers give about 121 days off a year to their employees, fewer than roughly 125 days for workers in other industries and public servants.

JAW, which has about 780,000 member workers, plans to seek improvements in not only wages but also other working conditions. Its president, Akihiro Kaneko, has expressed concern, saying, "The attractiveness of our industries could decrease (if the situation is left unattended)."

To raise production efficiency, major automakers basically designate many public holidays as working days while allowing employees to take consecutive days off around the "bon" Buddhist holiday period in August and the year-end and New Year period. Auto parts makers also set working days and days off in accordance with automakers' policies.

The number of nonworking days in the automotive industries has not increased in recent years, because automakers and auto parts makers have stopped short of setting substitute holidays to newly added public holidays.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]