The 13th is the intensive response day for this year's Spring Labor.
With the focus on whether sustainable wage increases can be achieved in order to create a virtuous economic cycle, major companies in the automobile, electronics, and steel industries have repeatedly given high-level responses, including full wages, and some are raising wages at the level demanded by labor unions. There are even more answers.
At the headquarters of the Japan Metal Workers' Association in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, which has approximately 2 million workers mainly working in manufacturing industries such as automobiles and electronics, the amounts of responses from major companies are being reported one after another.
Among major automakers, Toyota Motor Corporation responded in full to the union's demands regarding wage increases and bonuses.
This is the fourth year in a row that we have received a full response.
Nissan responded in full, as requested by the union, by increasing wages by an average of 18,000 yen per month per employee.
This is the highest level since the current wage system was introduced in 2005.
Among electronics manufacturers, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, NEC, and Fujitsu responded in full with a 13,000 yen monthly wage increase equivalent to the base increase.
Both are the highest levels since 1998.
Among major machinery manufacturers, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and IHI all responded in full with monthly wage increases of 18,000 yen, equivalent to base increases.
Among the major steel companies, Nippon Steel responded that it would exceed the labor union's demands and increase wages by 35,000 yen per month to cover the base increase.
JFE Steel and Kobe Steel responded to the request for a monthly wage increase of 30,000 yen in full.
In addition, there are a number of moves among major companies to settle for higher wage increases without waiting until today.
This year's spring labor union is focusing on whether it will be possible to achieve sustainable wage increases following last year's, when wages rose to the highest level in 30 years in an effort to break free from long-lasting deflation, and the focus is on whether small and medium-sized enterprises and non-profit organizations can continue this trend. It will also be interesting to see if this can spread to people working in regular employment.