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Government-Labor-Management Meeting for Realizing a Positive Cycle of the Economy
Monday, September 29, 2014
Photograph of the Prime Minister attending the meeting (1)
Photograph of the Prime Minister delivering an address (2)
Photograph of the Prime Minister delivering an address (3)
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the first Government-Labor-Management Meeting for Realizing a Positive Cycle of the Economy in 2014 at the Prime Minister's Office.
During the meeting, discussion took place on issues regarding the maintenance and expansion of the positive cycle of the economy.
The Prime Minister said in his opening address,
"Based on the Government-Labor-Management Meeting last year, we gained the cooperation of many business managers, and have seen a rise in wages up to the highest level in the past 15 years. That movement is spreading strongly. I would like to again express my gratitude for this.
In order to expand the recently begun positive cycle of the economy, it is vital that we strive for the improvement of worker productivity, the expansion of corporate profits, and to connect that to wage increases and more employment opportunities.
I want to receive opinions from the broad perspectives of the government, the workforce, and employers on structural issues surrounding not just wages, but employment as well. I hope to foster a common recognition of the issues.
Specifically, first, in order to improve the treatment of the generation raising children, it is important that we reconsider the seniority-based wage system and shift to wage systems that are in line with worker productivity.
Second, a reconsideration of work-life balance is required for labor participation by women and the elderly.
Third, I would like to work to streamline employment training and labor transfers while considering the initiatives being undertaken abroad.
Last year, we also took up discussion on the reconsideration of the ways that people work. However, that conversation was insufficient. I hope that the labor side as well will participate without reserve in our discussion.
Now is the time to achieve results. I do not want you to get caught up on customs, but to have a constructive discussion, with a forward-thinking perspective about what each of you can do as a member of the government or workforce, or as an employer."
