Current location:style >>
VOX POPULI: History of ‘shunto’ spring labor offensive seems timely
style6People 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.“Global Genesis news portal”。http://eritrea.prpsystems.net/news-96c799898.html
Related articles
Liverpool confirms Arne Slot as Jurgen Klopp's replacement
styleArne Slot will take on one of the most daunting challenges in soccer by replacing Jurgen Klopp as Li ...
【style】
Read moreTürkiye calls for greater defense cooperation with Germany
styleANKARA, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday called for greater ...
【style】
Read moreMontreal’s Ann
styleOTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Ann-Renee Desbiens posted the first shutout of her Professional Women’s Hocke ...
【style】
Read more
Popular articles
- Not so Cool Britannia! Noel Gallagher gives damning verdict on Keir Starmer
- Israel receives Hamas's response to Gaza truce proposal: official
- Nadal gets even with De Minaur at Madrid Open. Top seeds Sinner and Swiatek advance
- Victoria Beckham explains how she perfects her signature smoky eye and a sun
- Verona confirms Serie A status for another year after beating Salernitana
- Milla Jovovich talks babysitting for Fifth Element co
Latest articles
Why US Catholics are planning pilgrimages in communities across the nation
Cole Irvin throws 7 innings of 4
The tunnels have EYES! Inside the hidden 100
A strong magnitude 6.1 earthquake shakes Indonesia's Java Island, felt in Jakarta
Four people killed in a house explosion in southwestern Missouri
Brandt scores with 3 seconds left, Boston beats Minnesota 2
LINKS
- Cease, 2 relievers combine on 1
- Edmunds: Trade or sell your car? What's best might surprise you
- Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch co
- Armenia's prime minister in Russia for talks amid strain in ties
- Adell homers, Angels rally past Pirates 5
- In the NIL landscape, schools are turning to companies to train and manage in
- Pennsylvania House passes bill restricting how social media companies treat minors
- Retired pro wrestler who ran twice for Congress pleads not guilty in Las Vegas murder case
- Bobby Witt Jr. powers Royals past Brewers 6
- Cease, 2 relievers combine on 1