Kishida emphasizes the need for continuous wage increases and appeals for close communication with the union.
There is also a possibility that he attended the conference for the purpose of forming a coalition with the opposition party, which is supported by the labor community.
Nihon Keizai and Yomiuri Shimbun reported that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attended the regular convention of Rengo (Confederation of Japanese Trade Unions), Japan’s largest labor union, on the 5th.
According to reports, Prime Minister Kishida attended the Rengo Annual Meeting held in downtown Tokyo this morning and greeted the government as a representative, saying, “The source of economic energy is wage increases,” and “We will continue to create a large wave of wage increases, and we will continue to create large waves of wage increases for local governments, mid-sized companies, and local governments.” “We need to expand it to include small and medium-sized businesses,” he emphasized.
It has been 16 years since then-Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda did so in 2007 under the Liberal Democratic Party government that the Prime Minister attended the Rengo Convention.
Yomiuri reported that Prime Minister Kishida “appealed his attitude to cooperate with the labor community to continuously increase wages, which is a key policy,” and Nihongeizai said, “We will focus on wage increases and investment in people, and work closely with Rengo.” “They showed a willingness to communicate,” he said.
Prime Minister Kishida mentioned the achievements of this year’s Spring Labor-Management Negotiations, which achieved a high level of wage increase, and explained that the government will include policies from the workers’ perspective in the economic measures to be prepared at the end of October. In particular, he said to Japan’s largest union federation, “I will continue to communicate with you and do my best to create a virtuous economic cycle.”
Rengo Chairman Tomoko Yoshino pointed out that “wage increase is the most important national task,” and added, “Exchange of opinions between labor, management, and government is absolutely necessary and must be realized in the future. “We will always keep the window for dialogue open for Rengo,” he said.
There is a view that Prime Minister Kishida’s attendance at the union convention as Prime Minister of the Liberal Democratic Party for the first time in 16 years is interpreted as a move to promote a virtuous cycle of growth and distribution through wage increase, which is a core policy.
There is also an analysis that there is an intention to attract the opposition and shape the political landscape to their advantage. Prime Minister Kishida, who is weighing the timing of disbanding the House of Representatives, can seek to strengthen his political position by making the opposition party ‘on his side.’
Yomiuri said, “There is a plan within the government and the Liberal Democratic Party to add the People’s Democratic Party, which supports Rengo, to the coalition government of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Kominist Party,” and added, “Prime Minister (Kishida) will strengthen the relationship between Rengo and the People’s Democratic Party by attending the Rengo conference.” “It appears that there is an intention to narrow the distance,” he said.
In addition to Prime Minister Kishida, Kenta Izumi, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party, and Yuichiro Tamaki, representative of the centrist People’s Democratic Party, the fifth most centrist party, also participated in the Rengo convention that day.
Representative Izumi said, “Real wages are continuing to fall due to high inflation. “If the government’s response is weak, the Constitutional Democratic Party should step forward and create tension throughout politics,” he said.
Representative Tamaki said, “Now is the time to reduce income taxes so that working and living people can feel the reality of wage increases,” and added, “We will join together with everyone to ensure the flow of wage increases.”
Rengo, who leads industry-specific labor unions, is pursuing a two-party system and currently supports the Constitutional Democratic Party and the National Democratic Party. However, Nihon Keizai reported that Chairman Rengo Yoshino argues that it is necessary to build relationships with the government and ruling party in order to realize the policy.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, a spokesperson for the Japanese government, said at a press conference this morning, “In order to achieve economic growth led by domestic demand while energy and food prices are soaring, the key is to create an economy where wage increases are a given.” “We will pursue a structural wage increase policy while communicating closely with the government,” NHK reported.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.