Society

Japan panel starts last-ditch talks aimed at revising minimum wages

Jul 21 (Japan Times) - A subcommittee of the labor ministry’s advisory council on minimum wages started last-minute talks on Monday, with the labor and management sides remaining apart on the issue.

The subcommittee seems certain to call for a smaller wage hike than in the previous year, as the domestic economy is struggling amid the COVID-19 epidemic. The panel may refrain from indicating specific wage levels, observers said.

Annual minimum wage hikes came to around 3 percent in each of the last four years, reflecting a push by the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for higher wages.

In fiscal 2019, the nationwide average of minimum hourly wages rose Â¥27 from the previous year to Â¥901, posting the largest increase ever.

Source: ANNnewsCH

Ishiba Shigeru elected LDP leader

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