Current location:sport >>
VOX POPULI: History of ‘shunto’ spring labor offensive seems timely
sport317People have gathered around
IntroductionWhen I was a cub reporter, reporting on trade unions was a real struggle because I had to learn a sl ...
When I was a cub reporter, reporting on trade unions was a real struggle because I had to learn a slew of industry terms and phrases I’d never heard before.
For instance, “tansan” (industrial union) denotes a coalition of labor unions representing a single industry. But I was once laughed at by a union executive for mistaking that word for “tansan denchi,” which is Japanese for AA battery.
I picked up the lingo, one word at a time. I learned that “bea,” short for the Japanglish “base-up,” means raise in the base-pay scale, and that “teisho,” also an abbreviation of “teiki shokyu,” denotes an annual regular wage hike.
The word “shunto,” meaning spring labor offensive, has a special ring to it. Each spring, labor-management negotiations are held to determine wages and bonuses for the coming fiscal year.
Since their inception nearly 70 years ago, these negotiations have always taken place simultaneously across all industries, the purpose being to demonstrate labor solidarity and exert pressure on management.
The man who established this formula was Kaoru Ota (1912-1998), a trade union leader affectionately called “Ota Rappa” (Ota trumpet) for his good cheer and boundless energy.
From 1958 to 1966, Ota served as chairman of the General Council of Trade Unions of Japan (Sohyo), which led Japan’s labor movement back then.
His book, “Shunto no Shuen” (The demise of shunto), depicts his all-out commitment to organizing walkouts. Ota went on the offensive, indeed, in spring.
But economic recessions and changes in employment practices have caused the unifying power of unions to decline, exposing them to accusations of becoming too cozy with management and losing their identity.
And the term “kansei shunto” (literally, government-led spring labor offensive) was coined when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, pursuing his economic policies dubbed “Abenomics,” called on the business community to raise wages.
This year, major corporations agreed to higher-than-usual wage increases, and the Bank of Japan cited shunto’s achievements among the reasons for ending its negative interest rate policy.
But now that the estimated percentage of union members among employees has hit a record low of 16.3 percent, rising wages don’t really mean anything unless they apply also to employees of small and mid-sized companies and part-time workers.
Shunto today is among “kigo” seasonal keywords in haiku poetry. But the times are still rough for organizers of shunto.
A haiku by Takeo Nakajima (1908-1988) goes to the effect, “Blowing my breath into a trumpet/ At the conclusion of shunto negotiations.”
Is the breath being blown into this year’s trumpet a sigh of resignation, or is it a sigh of relief?
--The Asahi Shimbun, March 30
* *
*Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Stellar Stories news portal”。http://mauritania.downmusic.org/news-96e599898.html
Related articles
Insider Q&A: CIA's chief technologist's cautious embrace of generative AI
sportKnowledge advantage can save lives, win wars and avert disaster. At the Central Intelligence Agency, ...
【sport】
Read moreUS cautions after Hawaii neighbour Kiribati gets Chinese police
sportBy David Brunnstrom and Kirsty Needham, ReutersKiribati is considered strategic because it has one o ...
【sport】
Read moreTaylor Swift's father Scott Swift allegedly punched Sydney paparazzo in face
sportBy Greta Stonehouse, ABCTaylor Swift hugs Scott Swift at Gillette Stadium on 17 December 2023 in Mas ...
【sport】
Read more
Popular articles
- Independent UN experts urge Yemen’s Houthis to free detained Baha'i followers
- London police say chemical attacker presumed dead
- Prime Minister's Auckland office vandalised for third time in six months
- Queenstown housing: 'The situation hasn't gotten any better'
- Dodgers acquire pitcher Yohan Ramírez from Mets for cash
- Government rejects Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown's demands over rates, GST
Latest articles
The government wants to buy their flood
Israeli military says 24 soldiers killed in Gaza fighting
Israeli military says 24 soldiers killed in Gaza fighting
Good News: Stories that cheered us up for the week of 25
Inquiry slams UK authorities for failures that killed thousands in infected blood scandal
Israeli military says 24 soldiers killed in Gaza fighting
LINKS
- 32,000 runners drawn for 2024 Guiyang Marathon
- Nighttime entertainment boom invigorates tourism, consumption in Lanzhou
- La Liga: Drama in relegation struggle
- Brokerages' deal augurs well for capital market recast
- Scientists, sci
- US says security deal with Saudi close to completion
- Nighttime entertainment boom invigorates tourism, consumption in Lanzhou
- Chinese premier meets delegation from UK
- UMass Dartmouth's billionaire commencement speaker stuns graduates by giving them each $1,000
- Maradona's 1986 Golden Ball trophy goes to auction