Keidanren Urges Pay Hikes by Big Firms for 3rd Straight Year

   Tokyo, Jan. 19 (Jiji Press)--The Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, released a report Tuesday calling on major companies with improved earnings to raise employee pay, ahead of this year's "shunto" wage negotiations.
   Keidanren is making such a pay hike request to its members for the third straight year, aiming to help create a virtuous economic circle in the country.
   The report, drawn up by the group's labor policy committee, will be referred to by member companies as a guideline for shunto negotiations.
   The report highlighted the importance of pay hikes for the efforts by the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to realize a complete exit from deflation, as well as sustainable economic growth.
   Considering differing corporate performances by industry sector and by company size, due in part to the impact of a slowdown in the Chinese economy, Keidanren stopped short of clearly indicating pay scale hikes as an option, as it did last year.

(2016/01/19-19:13)