The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare recently announced an increase in the minimum wage for each of the prefectures of the country; the current weighted average is \961 per hour, which will be heightened by \43, surging to \1,004 (a rise by 4.5%). But the figure will not work to improve livelihood of working people as a whole, leaving gaps among them.
GAPS GROW, FAR FROM IMPROVING LIVELIHOOD OF PEOPLE
The targeted number has been cleared in the 24 prefectures, luckily, due to many efforts made locally. The growth was the biggest, but, judging from the today’s price hikes, it will not help to improve livelihood. Thus, regional gaps have become bigger.
\1,500 must be paid immediately
Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said that the minimum wage must be raised to \1,500 on the weighted average basis by the mid-2030 decade across the nation, but it will take 12-15 years from now, with people being left behind. They will have to live in poverty, with growing gaps.
Only eight prefectures have accomplished the target of \1,000, with the highest of \1,113 in Tokyo, meanwhile the lowest is \893 in Iwate Prefecture, with a difference by \220. Discrepancies in the regions have not been rectified. There are 24 prefectures where the minimum wage is recorded below \1,000, in another 15 prefectures the figure is below \900. If these trends continue without any change, depopulation and exodus cannot be stopped in the rural areas.
According to media reports, price hikes will be impacted on over 30 thousand items of beverage and foodstuff by the end of the year. The consumer price index of last May was higher by 3.2%, compared with that of May 2022. As for the electricity rate, it has been raised by 15-43% since June this year. The gas price has surged, too.
If a worker gets an hourly payment of \1,004 and works for 160 hours monthly, he will get approximately 160 thousand yen a month, that is only 1.93 million yen a year. Taxes and social insurance premiums are deducted from the sum. It is hard to lead an ordinary life with this amount of income. The ranking system based on the administrative regions must be abolished and the minimum wage must be set immediately as \1,500 around the country.
When figures are compared with those of other countries, …
The minimum wage of Japan is far behind those of other industrialized countries: it is \2,161 in Los Angeles, the United States, \2,230 in Australia, \1,608 in France, and in Germany it will be \1,760 in 2024 and \1,849 in 2025 in accordance with the pledges. In Republic of Korea the minimum wage will be \1,083 in 2024 by the official decision, which is applicable throughout the nation (with several exceptions). The status of Japan, where disparities are presumed, is abnormal.
Let’s fight to raise the wage!
According to a survey on the youth’s minimum income to sustain living, it is proven a monthly salary to be at least 250 thousand yen in any prefecture of the country.
In the last Spring Labor Offensive, which is annually fought here by organized workers, a good wage hike was recorded, an outcome after 30 years of absence. But, judging from the today’s employment condition where 40% of all workers are hired on the irregular basis and an overwhelming number of them are not organized by trade unions, the increase does not reflect directly on the incomes of majority of workers. Instead, many are left with a similar condition as an earner of the minimum wage.
The gains of the labor offensive mirrors negligence of the long-time stagnancy of salaries of regular workers and the starting wages of public workers sinking below the minimum wage. Labor movements and legal reforms on the minimum wage are essential to raise wages of regular workers and improve the minimum wage system altogether.
厚労省は、23年度の都道府県の最低賃金引上げ額を、現行の全国加重平均９６１円が時給で43円増の１００４円になる（増加率４・５％）と発表したが、生活改善にほど遠く、格差はそのままだ。
地方の奮闘によって24県で目安を上回り、過去最高の引上げだが、物価高を見れば生活改善はほど遠い上に、地域間の格差は拡大した。
今すぐ１５００円
岸田首相は、最賃を２０３０年代半ばまでに全国加重平均を１５００円へ引き上げることを目指すと発表したが、12～15年もかけてでは生活困窮と格差は増すばかりだ。
最賃１０００円達成はたった８都府県で、最高額の東京１１１３円と岩手県の最低額８９３円で格差が２２０円にもなる状況は是正できない。１０００円以下の県が24県、９００円以下の県が15県にも及ぶ現状が解消されない限り地方の人口流出、過疎化に歯止めはかからない。
飲食料品の値上げは、年末までに３万品目超に上るという。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、ガソリン価格の上昇など物価高騰が止まらない。
時給１００４円では、月１６０時間働いても約16万円、年収で約１９３万円程度にしかならない。ここから、税・社会保険料が差し引かれる。これで普通に暮らすことは困難。ランク制の廃止と、全国一律１５００円は待ったなしだ。
欧米に見劣り日本
日本の最低賃金は、他の先進国と比べると大きく見劣りする。米国ロサンゼルスは約２１６１円、豪２２３０円、仏１６０８円、独では24年から約１７９０円、25年には約１８４９円が決定済みだ。韓国でも24年１月から約１０８３円が決まっている。しかも、国内一律最賃（一部を除いて）であり、格差前提の日本が異常なのである。
闘い強め底上げを
全国若者最低生計費調査によれば、全国どこでも月25 万円以上が必要となっている。 今春闘では30年ぶりの水準だったが、非正規労働者が40％で圧倒的に未組織状態の現状では、春闘の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。
また、正規労働者の賃金の長期停滞と公務員初任給の最賃割れなど放置されてきた結果であり、正規労働者の賃上げと最賃が共に伸びる労働運動と、最賃システムを改革する法改正は必須だ。
英訳版↓
No. 1322 On Minimum Wage of 1,000 Yen+ per Hour
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare recently announced an increase in the minimum wage for each of the prefectures of the country; the current weighted average is \961 per hour, which will be heightened by \43, surging to \1,004 (a rise by 4.5%). But the figure will not work to improve livelihood of working people as a whole, leaving gaps among them.
GAPS GROW, FAR FROM IMPROVING LIVELIHOOD OF PEOPLE
The targeted number has been cleared in the 24 prefectures, luckily, due to many efforts made locally. The growth was the biggest, but, judging from the today’s price hikes, it will not help to improve livelihood. Thus, regional gaps have become bigger.
\1,500 must be paid immediately
Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said that the minimum wage must be raised to \1,500 on the weighted average basis by the mid-2030 decade across the nation, but it will take 12-15 years from now, with people being left behind. They will have to live in poverty, with growing gaps.
Only eight prefectures have accomplished the target of \1,000, with the highest of \1,113 in Tokyo, meanwhile the lowest is \893 in Iwate Prefecture, with a difference by \220. Discrepancies in the regions have not been rectified. There are 24 prefectures where the minimum wage is recorded below \1,000, in another 15 prefectures the figure is below \900. If these trends continue without any change, depopulation and exodus cannot be stopped in the rural areas.
According to media reports, price hikes will be impacted on over 30 thousand items of beverage and foodstuff by the end of the year. The consumer price index of last May was higher by 3.2%, compared with that of May 2022. As for the electricity rate, it has been raised by 15-43% since June this year. The gas price has surged, too.
If a worker gets an hourly payment of \1,004 and works for 160 hours monthly, he will get approximately 160 thousand yen a month, that is only 1.93 million yen a year. Taxes and social insurance premiums are deducted from the sum. It is hard to lead an ordinary life with this amount of income. The ranking system based on the administrative regions must be abolished and the minimum wage must be set immediately as \1,500 around the country.
When figures are compared with those of other countries, …
The minimum wage of Japan is far behind those of other industrialized countries: it is \2,161 in Los Angeles, the United States, \2,230 in Australia, \1,608 in France, and in Germany it will be \1,760 in 2024 and \1,849 in 2025 in accordance with the pledges. In Republic of Korea the minimum wage will be \1,083 in 2024 by the official decision, which is applicable throughout the nation (with several exceptions). The status of Japan, where disparities are presumed, is abnormal.
Let’s fight to raise the wage!
According to a survey on the youth’s minimum income to sustain living, it is proven a monthly salary to be at least 250 thousand yen in any prefecture of the country.
In the last Spring Labor Offensive, which is annually fought here by organized workers, a good wage hike was recorded, an outcome after 30 years of absence. But, judging from the today’s employment condition where 40% of all workers are hired on the irregular basis and an overwhelming number of them are not organized by trade unions, the increase does not reflect directly on the incomes of majority of workers. Instead, many are left with a similar condition as an earner of the minimum wage.
The gains of the labor offensive mirrors negligence of the long-time stagnancy of salaries of regular workers and the starting wages of public workers sinking below the minimum wage. Labor movements and legal reforms on the minimum wage are essential to raise wages of regular workers and improve the minimum wage system altogether.
September 13, 2023