Amid severe economic circumstances, the priority of the negotiations should be put on job security rather than pay raise. Business activities have no future without human resources and vice versa.
Companies that have a management-labor agreement on regular pay raise are expected to stick to it basically.
Businesses that have no such arrangement may talk about the possibility of having the same degree of salary increase as last year.
The Japanese government needs to draw up a schedule for action and implement the strategy, containing both demand and supply-side policies, without delay. Keidanren will work harder to have our proposal reflected in the process.