No. 1315 Going Discussions in Council on Minimum Wage
Debates have begun in the Central Council on Minimum Wage to set a target figure for an increase of the payment. An approximate mark will be announced late July and then deliberations will be made at the local-level councils. In the end of August figures in the prefectures will be finalized, and the results will be implemented in October.
NEEDED ENOUGH INCREASE TO COPE WITH SURGING PRICES
The Kishida government is planned this year in its ‘basic reform’ policy to ‘fulfill the target of nationwide weighted average of 1,000 yen’. But the targeted number is not only insufficient to overcome the rising prices to improve livelihood, but also ineffective to rectify gaps form one region to another.
An increase is needed to guarantee humane way of life
Count foodstuff items in total 29,000, whose prices were already raised or to be so this year. The consumer price index of last May was larger by 3.2%, compared with that of May in 2022. As for electricity rate, it will go up by 15-43% from the consumption in June. Prices do not stop growing.
If an employee works for 160 hours a month when his/her wage is \961 per hour, the monthly income is approximately \150 thousand. On the annual basis it represents only \1.84 million. Taxes and social services payments are deducted from this total. Thus, it is hard to lead an ordinary life. An increase in the minimum wage is indispensable.
If the government’s target is to be attained, it is necessary to raise the current average of \961 by \39 (on the digit of 4%). Even if the figure is cleared, that will not lead to upgrading real wages, or assuring a better life to offset the rising prices.
Minimum monthly salary is \250 thousand
In addition, big gaps exist in the minimum wages from a region to another. In Tokyo the minimum is \1,072 per hour, which is the highest, and in Okinawa and other nine prefectures it is \853, the gap being \219. In another twenty-eight prefectures it is lower than \900, which triggers depopulation and desolation. According to a survey on the minimum necessary cost of living of the youth across the country, in any of the prefectures it is proven to be over \250 thousand.
In the last Spring Labor Offensive, workers in the big businesses enjoyed a 3.58% increase on the average in their salaries, a good score recorded after 30 years of absence. But currently 40% of the working population are employed on the irregular status and an overwhelming number of these workers are not organized by trade unions, and therefore the wage increase does not directly reflect on them. In other words, the majority of these workers have a salary similar to the minimum wages.
Let’s fight for a big increase!
Setting the minimum wage has a role of a safety net to sustain the level of necessary wages to guarantee livelihood. Therefore, an upsurge in the minimum wage directly links to daily living of workers. To fight for a big rise is vital.
Furthermore, it is essential for the government to support medium-and-small-sized companies to improve the minimum wage. Today big businesses have accumulated as high as \514 trillion in their internal reserves, and so if the government imposes temporary taxes on the funds, while deciding on reduced social insurance premiums to smaller firms, it is possible to heighten the minimum wage.
The on-going negotiation on the minimum wage is crucially important. We are not by-standers. Let’s commit actively in the struggles to demand higher minimum wages to reflect workers’ voices on the government’s council. Let’s accomplish our nationwide goal of \1,500.
中央最低賃金審議会で今年度の最賃引上げ額の目安を決める議論が始まった。７月末に目安が示され、それ以降、地方審議会で審議、８月下旬には地方の最賃が決まり10月頃から適用予定だ。
岸田政権は「骨太の改革」で「今年は全国加重平均１０００円を達成する」としているが、物価高騰を上回って生活改善には届かないうえに、地域間格差是正に不十分な目標だ。
人らしく生きる額
今年すでに値上げしたか値上げを予定する食品の合計が２万９千品目に上る。また、５月の消費者物価指数は前年同月比３・２％上昇。電気料金が６月使用分から15～43％値上げなど物価高騰が止まらない。 時給９ ６ １ 円では、月１６０時間働いても約15万円、年収で約１８４万円にしかならない。ここから、税・社会保険料が差し引かれる。これでは普通に暮らすことは困難で、最賃引上げは待ったなしだ。
政府の掲げる「全国平均１０００円」を実現するには現在の最賃平均９６１円から39円（４％台）の引上げが必要だ。仮に実現しても実質賃金の向上にはつながらず、物価高騰を上回っての生活改善にはならない。
月25万円以上必要
また、最賃には大きな地域間格差があり、東京の最高額１０７２円と沖縄など10県の最低額８５３円で２１９円にも上る。９００円以下の県が28県もあり、地方の人口流出・過疎化の大きな要因になっている。全国若者最低生計費調査では、全国どこでも月25万円以上必要となっている。
今春闘では大手企業の賃上げ平均は３・58％と30年ぶりの水準だったが、非正規労働者が40％で未組織が圧倒的な現状では、賃上げが直接には反映せず、むしろ最賃に近い低賃金で働いている割合が非常に多い。
大幅引上げへ闘う
最賃は、働く人の生活を保障するのに必要な賃金を底支えするセーフティネットの役割を担っている。従って、最賃引上げが生活に直接影響するだけに、大幅引上げを求める闘いが重要になる。
最賃アップには中小企業へ支援が欠かせない。政府の決断で社会保険費用の減免などと併せ、５１３兆円に膨れ上がった大企業の内部留保に時限的に課税することで、可能となる。
今回の最低賃金の動向は極めて重要であり、傍観者ではなく、中央・地方で最賃闘争に積極的に取り組み、労働者の声を審議会に反映させ「全国一律１５００円」を実現させよう。
英訳版↓
No. 1315 Going Discussions in Council on Minimum Wage
Debates have begun in the Central Council on Minimum Wage to set a target figure for an increase of the payment. An approximate mark will be announced late July and then deliberations will be made at the local-level councils. In the end of August figures in the prefectures will be finalized, and the results will be implemented in October.
NEEDED ENOUGH INCREASE TO COPE WITH SURGING PRICES
The Kishida government is planned this year in its ‘basic reform’ policy to ‘fulfill the target of nationwide weighted average of 1,000 yen’. But the targeted number is not only insufficient to overcome the rising prices to improve livelihood, but also ineffective to rectify gaps form one region to another.
An increase is needed to guarantee humane way of life
Count foodstuff items in total 29,000, whose prices were already raised or to be so this year. The consumer price index of last May was larger by 3.2%, compared with that of May in 2022. As for electricity rate, it will go up by 15-43% from the consumption in June. Prices do not stop growing.
If an employee works for 160 hours a month when his/her wage is \961 per hour, the monthly income is approximately \150 thousand. On the annual basis it represents only \1.84 million. Taxes and social services payments are deducted from this total. Thus, it is hard to lead an ordinary life. An increase in the minimum wage is indispensable.
If the government’s target is to be attained, it is necessary to raise the current average of \961 by \39 (on the digit of 4%). Even if the figure is cleared, that will not lead to upgrading real wages, or assuring a better life to offset the rising prices.
Minimum monthly salary is \250 thousand
In addition, big gaps exist in the minimum wages from a region to another. In Tokyo the minimum is \1,072 per hour, which is the highest, and in Okinawa and other nine prefectures it is \853, the gap being \219. In another twenty-eight prefectures it is lower than \900, which triggers depopulation and desolation. According to a survey on the minimum necessary cost of living of the youth across the country, in any of the prefectures it is proven to be over \250 thousand.
In the last Spring Labor Offensive, workers in the big businesses enjoyed a 3.58% increase on the average in their salaries, a good score recorded after 30 years of absence. But currently 40% of the working population are employed on the irregular status and an overwhelming number of these workers are not organized by trade unions, and therefore the wage increase does not directly reflect on them. In other words, the majority of these workers have a salary similar to the minimum wages.
Let’s fight for a big increase!
Setting the minimum wage has a role of a safety net to sustain the level of necessary wages to guarantee livelihood. Therefore, an upsurge in the minimum wage directly links to daily living of workers. To fight for a big rise is vital.
Furthermore, it is essential for the government to support medium-and-small-sized companies to improve the minimum wage. Today big businesses have accumulated as high as \514 trillion in their internal reserves, and so if the government imposes temporary taxes on the funds, while deciding on reduced social insurance premiums to smaller firms, it is possible to heighten the minimum wage.
The on-going negotiation on the minimum wage is crucially important. We are not by-standers. Let’s commit actively in the struggles to demand higher minimum wages to reflect workers’ voices on the government’s council. Let’s accomplish our nationwide goal of \1,500.
July19, 2023