Japan Labor Leader Seeks Strong Wage Hikes at Smaller Biz

   Tokyo, Jan. 28 (Jiji Press)--Tomoko Yoshino, head of Japan's biggest labor group, Rengo, has expressed hopes that smaller businesses will decide to raise wages strongly in this year's "shunto" labor-management pay talks.
   "Our biggest mission in this year's shunto is to make the trend of higher wages take root and spread it to small and midsize companies and those without labor unions," Yoshino, president of Rengo, or the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, said in a recent interview.
   While gunning for wage hikes larger than last year in general, Yoshino said Rengo particularly hopes that smaller companies will realize increases that exceed the overall growth rate and thus narrow wage gaps between large and small companies.
   "Investment in people, including by raising wages, is indispensable" for small and midsize companies in order to address labor shortages more severe than those at large companies, Yoshino also said.
   In addition, smaller companies' revenues have been squeezed because many such businesses have been unable to pass higher procurement prices and labor costs fully to clients and consumers, she said.

(2025/01/28-20:01)

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