This year's Spring Battle was held on the 15th, and major companies received a series of responses at a high level that has not been seen in recent years, including full amounts. Going forward, the focus will be on whether this momentum will spread to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) where negotiations are in full swing, and whether this will lead to sustainable wage increases by breaking away from the long-standing wage stagnation.
On the day of the intensive response to the spring battle, which was welcomed in an unusual mood of wage increases, many companies, mainly major companies, responded one after another with a high level of wage increases, including full answers.
In the automotive industry, Toyota, Nissan, and Honda Motor Corporation, and in the electronics industry, Hitachi, Ltd. and Panasonic Holdings Co., Ltd. all received full responses.
In addition, companies in the distribution and service industries have raised the wages of non-regular employees one after another, and some respondents have raised their wages more than regular employees.
Many comments were heard from both labor and management, such as "the momentum for wage increases is increasing" and "this is historic," and expressed recognition that it is necessary to continue wage increases next year and beyond.
Negotiations are scheduled to begin in earnest at many small and medium-sized enterprises, and the focus will be on whether this momentum will spread to small and medium-sized enterprises and non-regular workers, and whether it will lead to sustainable wage increases by breaking away from the long-standing stagnation of wages.