The male colleagues of the first woman to head Japan’s largest trade union beg her to turn down the job because they believe her gender makes her incapable of resisting the Japanese company for wages. higher.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Tomoko Yoshino described a series of attempts to deflect her promotion to the position of President of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Japan (Rengo). The organization is supposed to represent all workers, she said, but for years has maintained a “male-centric image”.
“The men told me I should definitely turn down the offer, as we don’t just have a general election. [in October] and a senate election [in 2022], but next year’s salary negotiations will also be difficult due to the coronavirus pandemic,” said Yoshino.
“They say it’s too difficult for a woman to take on the job in such a difficult time,” said Yoshino.
But opposition to her appointment, she said, was offset by the immense support of Rengo’s female members, who saw the promotion as a clear signal of progress. “In a sense, something that used to be a source of women’s frustration has now turned into expectation,” she said.
Yoshino, who took over the top role in October, commented as Rengo prepares for the annual ceremony “shunto“Negotiation between labor and management throughout Japanese industry.
The process, which began in January, has for years been a relative disappointment to workers and government agencies, who had hoped that larger wage increases would generate a larger scale. economic recovery.
Last week, Rengo approved the plan asking for a total increase of 4% in the negotiations, combining the salary scale and regular salary increase, the same target for the seventh year in a row.
The government is backing the trend of wage increases and is ready to issue a threat to block investment tax credits for large companies that do not raise wages for workers. Large companies usually respond around March.
Along with these negotiations, Yoshino will likely use his position to put pressure on the many Japanese companies that continue to stand in their way on the gender equality front and “womenPolicies introduced over the past decade.
The cabinet office last month said that 33.4% of the 2,189 large companies listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange did not have any female executives as of July. Such companies include Canon and chemical manufacturer Toray Industries, both of which have produced the presidents of Keidanren, Japan’s largest business consortium.
According to the World Economic Forum, Japan ranks 120th out of 156 countries in the gender gap rankings in 2021, the worst among the major advanced economies.
While there have been discussions about creating an environment where women can continue to work unhindered when it comes to marriage, pregnancy, childbirth or raising a family, Yoshino said she has witnessed it. Many female leaders are assigned to the highest positions in union associations.
“I realized that women can only reach a certain level with glass ceilings,” she says.
Despite the anxiety at the time of meeting her, “I thought I had to convey the thoughts of the women here, and I decided that I must never miss the chance to break the ceiling myself. glasses”.
