All the 47 prefectures’ offices of the country have announced revised figures on the minimum wage. A rise has been made, which is higher than the ‘estimated increase’ in this fiscal, which was \50 across the board. This positive record follows the last year’s results. It is because of a series of polices taken to curb recent price hikes and to restrain shortage and drainage of labor force in the countryside, including Tokushima Prefecture.
REGIONAL GAPS STILL REMAIN DESPITE ANNOUNCEMENT OF ‘ESTIMATED INCREASE’
A hike in the minimum wages is calculated independently by a council of each of 47 prefectural offices; a local council refers to the ‘estimated increase’ announced by the Central Council on Minimum Wage belonging to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. It is classified into three categories of A, B and C, to be applied to each prefecture by analyzing relevant economic factors.
In particular, in Tokushima Prefecture, which recorded the second lowest figure last year, Governor has repeatedly demanded the prefectural council to raise the minimum wage by a big margin on the ground that living costs and prices stay ‘above the average norm’ in comparison with those of other prefectures.
Consequently, the prefecture has shown a high figure of \85, which is unprecedented, and it is called ‘a Tokushima shock’. As a result, in 16 prefectures the minimum wages have exceeded the level of \1,000 per hour thanks to the surges achieved in various regions.
Contradictions in differences from one prefecture to another
The minimum wage scheme was launched in 1978 and ranking has been revised frequently up to today on the basis of ‘comprehensive indexes’; they are comprised of multiple economic elements, including an average income per capita in the prefecture, expenses in the consumption per household, and etc. Differences in the monetary figures in the minimum wages come from these gaps in the indexes from one prefecture to another.
For this reason, in the year 2023 the rankings were reduced to three, namely A, B and C, from the previous four categories from A to D. But unfortunately, regional gaps have not been filled up, causing population drainage. Meanwhile, however, differences in the living costs per prefecture have been reduced, according to certain analysts.
An ‘estimated increase’, for what?
Officials in the Tokushima Prefecture’s Labor Council told that ‘Governor’s advice was incorporated in the results.’ Usually, local councils discuss an increase in the minimum wages, referring to the announcements from the Ministry. The chairman of the Tokushima’s council clearly mentioned that ‘it had changed the way, avoiding the standardized figures.’ This means a posture against the current practices that preserve existing regional gaps and only catch up with price hikes.
Income levels of casual laborers, mostly, stay below the minimum wages. In Japan an organizational rate of workers into labor unions has been as low as 17%, and, in addition, trade unions are vertically divided by business entities. Workers, especially irregular workers, are left outside the labor-management negotiation tables, pushed into the structures full of breaches.
Basic salaries of such workers must be raised as those engaged in the sectors of health, elderly care, nursing, education, public services of municipal and transport offices, life-saving infrastructure to supply gas, water, electricity and communication, logistics, and dealings of daily necessities. It is vital for the state’s government to establish a wage system which sets figures per profession based on the specific minimum wage norms (the ex-framework of the minimum wages per industry) for essential workers, together with implementation of a single, nationwide minimum wage standard.
今年の最低賃金改定額が47都道府県で出そろった。今年度の「目安」は一律50円だったが、物価高や人手不足・流失を抑えるために徳島を始め地方を中心に昨年に続き目安を超える引き上げとなった。
最賃の引き上げ額は、厚労省の中央最賃審議会が都道府県を、経済情勢に応じてＡ～Ｃランクに分けて示す「目安」を参考に、都道府県の審議会が決める。
特に昨年の改定で２番目の低さとなっていた徳島県は、生計費や物価などが他の都道府県と比べて「中位より上にある」とし、知事が審議会に大幅アップを繰り返し要請した。
その結果、85円の引き上げで「徳島ショック」と言われる過去に例を見ない引き上げになった。各地の引き上げで千円超えは16都道府県に倍増した。
地域別最賃の矛盾
最賃のランク制度は１９７８年に制度がスタートして今日に至るまで、１人当たりの都道府県民所得や１世帯当たりの消費支出など、複数の経済指標から作成される「総合指数」を基にランクの見直しが行われてきた。この指数の差によって、都道府県の金額に差が生じていた。
そのため、２０２３年にはそれまでのＡＢＣＤの４ランクが、ＡＢＣの３ランクに改定された。しかし、地域間の格差は埋まらず、生活費は都道府県間で縮小しているのに、最賃の地域格差が人口流出につながっていると指摘されていた。
目安ありきでなく
今回、徳島県労働局の関係者は、「審議では知事の要望も勘案された」と言う。通常、各都道府県の審議会は、目安を参考に、現状の最賃をいくら引き上げるか検討するが、徳島県最賃審の会長は、「国の目安ありきでなく、やり方を変えた」と明言。物価の後追い、地域間格差を温存する現在のやり方に反旗を翻ひるがえした形だ。
非正規の賃金水準は、多くが最賃にへばりついている。日本の労働者の組織率は17 ％と低い上に企業別組合で、多くの労働者、特に非正規は団体交渉の外に置かれ、格差が是正できない構造が温存されてきた。
低賃金や低い労働条件の下にある医療、介護、保育、教育、自治体・公共交通機関などの公共サービス、ガス・水道・電機・通信など、生活インフラ、物流、生活用品を扱う労働者たちの底上げには全国一律最賃の実現とともに、国の社会政策としてエッセンシャルワーカーなど特定の労働者層を焦点化した特定最賃制（旧産業別最賃）を活用した職種別賃金制の導入が必須だ。
英訳版↓
No. 1372 How Must Be Revision on Minimum Wage?
All the 47 prefectures’ offices of the country have announced revised figures on the minimum wage. A rise has been made, which is higher than the ‘estimated increase’ in this fiscal, which was \50 across the board. This positive record follows the last year’s results. It is because of a series of polices taken to curb recent price hikes and to restrain shortage and drainage of labor force in the countryside, including Tokushima Prefecture.
REGIONAL GAPS STILL REMAIN DESPITE ANNOUNCEMENT OF ‘ESTIMATED INCREASE’
A hike in the minimum wages is calculated independently by a council of each of 47 prefectural offices; a local council refers to the ‘estimated increase’ announced by the Central Council on Minimum Wage belonging to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. It is classified into three categories of A, B and C, to be applied to each prefecture by analyzing relevant economic factors.
In particular, in Tokushima Prefecture, which recorded the second lowest figure last year, Governor has repeatedly demanded the prefectural council to raise the minimum wage by a big margin on the ground that living costs and prices stay ‘above the average norm’ in comparison with those of other prefectures.
Consequently, the prefecture has shown a high figure of \85, which is unprecedented, and it is called ‘a Tokushima shock’. As a result, in 16 prefectures the minimum wages have exceeded the level of \1,000 per hour thanks to the surges achieved in various regions.
Contradictions in differences from one prefecture to another
The minimum wage scheme was launched in 1978 and ranking has been revised frequently up to today on the basis of ‘comprehensive indexes’; they are comprised of multiple economic elements, including an average income per capita in the prefecture, expenses in the consumption per household, and etc. Differences in the monetary figures in the minimum wages come from these gaps in the indexes from one prefecture to another.
For this reason, in the year 2023 the rankings were reduced to three, namely A, B and C, from the previous four categories from A to D. But unfortunately, regional gaps have not been filled up, causing population drainage. Meanwhile, however, differences in the living costs per prefecture have been reduced, according to certain analysts.
An ‘estimated increase’, for what?
Officials in the Tokushima Prefecture’s Labor Council told that ‘Governor’s advice was incorporated in the results.’ Usually, local councils discuss an increase in the minimum wages, referring to the announcements from the Ministry. The chairman of the Tokushima’s council clearly mentioned that ‘it had changed the way, avoiding the standardized figures.’ This means a posture against the current practices that preserve existing regional gaps and only catch up with price hikes.
Income levels of casual laborers, mostly, stay below the minimum wages. In Japan an organizational rate of workers into labor unions has been as low as 17%, and, in addition, trade unions are vertically divided by business entities. Workers, especially irregular workers, are left outside the labor-management negotiation tables, pushed into the structures full of breaches.
Basic salaries of such workers must be raised as those engaged in the sectors of health, elderly care, nursing, education, public services of municipal and transport offices, life-saving infrastructure to supply gas, water, electricity and communication, logistics, and dealings of daily necessities. It is vital for the state’s government to establish a wage system which sets figures per profession based on the specific minimum wage norms (the ex-framework of the minimum wages per industry) for essential workers, together with implementation of a single, nationwide minimum wage standard.
September 25, 2024