The Central Minimum Wage Council at its 153rd meeting on 27 July fixed the yardstick for the prefectural minimum wages for the year of 2000, which was proposed to the Minister of Labour and was also shown to the prefectural Minimum Wage Councils. It was a daily wage raise of 44 yen (A rank), 42 yen (B rank), 40 yen (C rank) and 38 yen (D rank). After the careful discussion at each prefectural Minimum Wage Council, minimum wage for each prefecture was fixed by 9 August which could make the deadline for effectuation of 1st October 2000.

As a result, daily minimum wages in 24 prefectures exceed the yardstick, which is much higher than that of last year. At the conclusion of hearing, all of public interests, labour and employer council members were in agreement with 33 prefectures (28 prefectures last year), employer side was in opposition in 11 prefectures (12 prefectures last year) and labour side opposed in 4 prefectures (9 prefectures last year). All of 52 prefectures are divided into 4 ranks. In A rank, for example, the hourly and daily minimum wages in Tokyo are 703 yen and 5,559 yen respectively. In B rank, for example in Kyoto, 673 yen and 5,372 yen, in C rank, for example, in Hokkaido 633 yen and 5,060 yen and in D rank, for example in Okinawa, 600 yen and 4,796 yen respectively.

The result was partly caused by the recovery, even though Japan is still stuck in a serious condition. RENGO's next step will be making its best effort in order for the result of prefectural minimum wages to be reflected in the negotiations for industrial minimum wages.