Labor unions at major Japanese electronics makers have launched this year's spring wage negotiations in earnest, demanding a monthly pay scale increase of ¥18,000, surpassing last year's record-high request.
On Thursday, February 20, 2026, labor unions at major Japanese electronics makers, including Hitachi and Mitsubishi Electric, kicked off this year's shuntō spring wage negotiations by submitting pay hike demands to management.
Unions at these companies requested a ¥18,000 monthly pay scale increase, exceeding last year's record demand of ¥17,000. Unions at heavy machinery makers have also put forward substantial pay demands.
Large corporations are set to respond to these requests on March 18, with attention centering on whether the raises will achieve real wage growth amid ongoing inflation.
Miyuki Hanzawa, head of the Hitachi union, delivered a written demand to management at the company's Tokyo headquarters that day. Hitachi Vice President Susumu Takimoto told reporters, “The source of growth is investment in people,” adding, “We will positively consider (wage hikes) based on our business performance.”
Electronics makers' unions have pursued pay scale increases for 13 straight years. Since 2020, they have permitted company-specific agreements above a certain threshold, accounting for varying business structures.
In last year's shuntō, the unions demanded a ¥17,000 increase, which was fully granted by Hitachi, Fujitsu, and NEC. Settlements reached ¥15,000 at Mitsubishi Electric, ¥13,000 at Panasonic Holdings, and ¥12,000 at Sharp.
