No. 1391 Improve Livelihood through Spring Labor Offensive 2025
The Spring Labor Offensive 2025 has practically begun as consultation meetings were held between the Rengo, the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (JATUC), and the Keidanren, or the Japan Business Federation (JBF), meetings of top leaders from the labor and the management. The both camps assert a wage hike as a routine claim. Under today’s high prices in our everyday life, it is vital for the working population to increase wages sharply to get livelihood better as an urgent task.
LET’S FIGHT FOR WAGE INCREASES AND SOCIAL TASKS
Poverty is extending and gaps are growing
According to the 2024 version of monthly reports on workers’ life from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Welfare, indicators for real wages have recorded minus figures for three consecutive years, which is 0.2%, compared with the previous data; a real wage means a figure of the total sum of salaries paid in cash (a nominal wage) to be arranged to reflect price fluctuations.
Furthermore, the Ministry’s research shows that as high as 60% of the households admit that a life is hard. The same survey has revealed that poverty rate is 18%, or one in every 6.1 people is poor. Among the elderly one in every five people, and one in every two single parents, suffers from poverty. The scenario gets severer.
Meanwhile, corporate tax rates have been fallen to 23% from 43% thanks to the coalition government’s policy, in which the rich as well as big businesses have been treated preferentially. A total yielded by the tax reduction policies counts as high as \307 trillion. Revenue from the consumption tax is allocated to fill the gap of decreased corporate tax proceed, which is estimated as 65% of the accumulated total sum of \476 trillion of revenue from the consumption tax.
Under these circumstances, big businesses have steadily piled up their internal reserves for the Covid-19 pandemic years and the subsequent inflation period, exceeding \600 trillion. That is to say, the government and big businesses are rightly responsible for the prevailing poverty and inequality.
Workers must struggle, not negotiate
The Rengo has plans, as targets, to raise salaries for workers employed by big enterprises by over 5% (including a regular base-up of salaries), and by over 6% for workers employed by medium-and-small-sized companies. Meanwhile, the Keidanren asserts that the 6% for medium-and-smaller businesses is ‘unrealistic’ in their Report of the Commission on Economy and Labor. The federation, showing reluctance, is not keen in rectifying disparities.
The government led by Premier Ishiba, too, has a policy to ‘bring a big surge in salaries’, but it is interested in raising salaries for workers in big businesses and shifting labor force to promising industry domains. The Rengo supports the government’s plan, regarding as ‘investments to human resources.’ The national center of trade unions prefers ‘negotiation among the government, the labor and the management’, casting a fighting posture aside. It is clear that the high-price trend cannot be overcome, if the Rengo keeps a stance to share a ‘common ground with the government and the management.’ It is time for workers to go on strike, instead of trilateral negotiation.
Let’s fight for social challenges!
The Joint Struggle Committee for National Spring Labor Offensive is planned to wage nationwide strikes on March 13, seeking for a wage hike by \32,000. The Executive Committee for Spring Offensive for Workers’ Rights will stage campaigns to raise salaries by over \25,000 through negotiation, mass mobilization of workers and joint struggles for the minimum wage.
The Executive Committee of the Irregular Workers’ Spring Labor Offensive will stage strikes, too, demanding over 10% salary hike, in order to rectify gaps.
It is time to take every form of actions, including strikes in the workplaces and communities, in order to create an advantageous scenario for big wage hikes.
At the same time, let’s fight for peace, defending the Constitution, and reject military build-up. Let’s fight for abolishing the consumption tax! Let’s struggle for better social services! Let’s improve our livelihood, striving together in solidarity for social challenges!
連合と経団連の労使トップ会談が１月22日にあり、25春闘が事実上スタートした。労使とも賃上げの「定着」を訴えるが、物価高騰の中、今春闘で大幅賃上げを実現し、生活改善が課題だ。
貧困と格差広がる
厚労省の２０２４年の毎月勤労統計調査によると現金給与総額（名目賃金）に物価の変動を反映させた実質賃金は、前年比０・２％減と３年連続でマイナスだった。
また、厚労省の調査によると、生活が苦しいと答えたのは全世帯中60％に上り、同調査で貧困率は18％、６・１人に１人、高齢者５人に１人、１人親２人に１人が貧困と、深刻さが増している。
一方、自公政権の大企業・金持ち優遇政策によって、法人税は43％から23％まで引き下げられ、引き下げ額の累積は３０７兆円にも上っている。消費税が法人税減税に使われているが、消費税徴収累計４７６兆円の実に65％にあたる。
そうした中で、大企業の内部留保はコロナ禍と物価高騰の中でも増え続け、６００兆円を超えた。まさに貧困と格差の広がりは、政府と大企業に重大な責任がある。
「春討」でなく闘い
25春闘で連合は大企業「５％以上」（定昇込み） 中小企業「６％以上」の賃上げ目標を立てているが、経団連の「経労委報告」では、中小企業の６％は「現実離れしている」として難色を示し、格差を是正する姿勢がない。
石破政権も「大幅な賃上げを促す」としているが、大企業中心の賃上げ政策、成長分野への労働力移動としている。連合はそれを「人への投資」などと言って支持し、闘いの配置のない「政労使交渉」重視と、「共通認識論」では物価高を超えることすらできないのは明らかだ。話し合い＝「春討」ではなく、ストライキを背景に闘うときだ。
社会的課題を闘う
国民春闘共闘は３万２０００円の賃上げを掲げ、３月13日に全国一斉ストを構える。けんり春闘実行委員会は２万５０００円以上の要求を交渉と大衆行動や最賃共闘を展開する。
非正規春闘実行委員会も10％以上の賃上げ要求をストライキを背景に闘い、格差を是正するとしている。職場・地域からストライキも含めた、あらゆる取り組みを通じて、大幅賃上げの相場を作り出すことが求められている。
また、護憲・軍拡反対・消費税廃止・社会保障の充実など社会的課題を掲げて共に闘う中で生活改善を勝ち取ろう。
英訳版↓
No. 1391 Improve Livelihood through Spring Labor Offensive 2025
The Spring Labor Offensive 2025 has practically begun as consultation meetings were held between the Rengo, the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (JATUC), and the Keidanren, or the Japan Business Federation (JBF), meetings of top leaders from the labor and the management. The both camps assert a wage hike as a routine claim. Under today’s high prices in our everyday life, it is vital for the working population to increase wages sharply to get livelihood better as an urgent task.
LET’S FIGHT FOR WAGE INCREASES AND SOCIAL TASKS
Poverty is extending and gaps are growing
According to the 2024 version of monthly reports on workers’ life from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Welfare, indicators for real wages have recorded minus figures for three consecutive years, which is 0.2%, compared with the previous data; a real wage means a figure of the total sum of salaries paid in cash (a nominal wage) to be arranged to reflect price fluctuations.
Furthermore, the Ministry’s research shows that as high as 60% of the households admit that a life is hard. The same survey has revealed that poverty rate is 18%, or one in every 6.1 people is poor. Among the elderly one in every five people, and one in every two single parents, suffers from poverty. The scenario gets severer.
Meanwhile, corporate tax rates have been fallen to 23% from 43% thanks to the coalition government’s policy, in which the rich as well as big businesses have been treated preferentially. A total yielded by the tax reduction policies counts as high as \307 trillion. Revenue from the consumption tax is allocated to fill the gap of decreased corporate tax proceed, which is estimated as 65% of the accumulated total sum of \476 trillion of revenue from the consumption tax.
Under these circumstances, big businesses have steadily piled up their internal reserves for the Covid-19 pandemic years and the subsequent inflation period, exceeding \600 trillion. That is to say, the government and big businesses are rightly responsible for the prevailing poverty and inequality.
Workers must struggle, not negotiate
The Rengo has plans, as targets, to raise salaries for workers employed by big enterprises by over 5% (including a regular base-up of salaries), and by over 6% for workers employed by medium-and-small-sized companies. Meanwhile, the Keidanren asserts that the 6% for medium-and-smaller businesses is ‘unrealistic’ in their Report of the Commission on Economy and Labor. The federation, showing reluctance, is not keen in rectifying disparities.
The government led by Premier Ishiba, too, has a policy to ‘bring a big surge in salaries’, but it is interested in raising salaries for workers in big businesses and shifting labor force to promising industry domains. The Rengo supports the government’s plan, regarding as ‘investments to human resources.’ The national center of trade unions prefers ‘negotiation among the government, the labor and the management’, casting a fighting posture aside. It is clear that the high-price trend cannot be overcome, if the Rengo keeps a stance to share a ‘common ground with the government and the management.’ It is time for workers to go on strike, instead of trilateral negotiation.
Let’s fight for social challenges!
The Joint Struggle Committee for National Spring Labor Offensive is planned to wage nationwide strikes on March 13, seeking for a wage hike by \32,000. The Executive Committee for Spring Offensive for Workers’ Rights will stage campaigns to raise salaries by over \25,000 through negotiation, mass mobilization of workers and joint struggles for the minimum wage.
The Executive Committee of the Irregular Workers’ Spring Labor Offensive will stage strikes, too, demanding over 10% salary hike, in order to rectify gaps.
It is time to take every form of actions, including strikes in the workplaces and communities, in order to create an advantageous scenario for big wage hikes.
At the same time, let’s fight for peace, defending the Constitution, and reject military build-up. Let’s fight for abolishing the consumption tax! Let’s struggle for better social services! Let’s improve our livelihood, striving together in solidarity for social challenges!
February 19, 2025