On March 4, RENGO carried out a demand activity at the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) on the 2002 Fiscal Year minimum wages. As the number of non-regular workers increases, differentials in the treatment of regular and non-regular workers have begun to surface. In these circumstances, RENGO used this demand activity as a chance to appeal for the significance of a "minimum wage system" that supports the prevention of widening differentials, as well as to demand that government administrations actively respond to enrich and develop such a system. Attendees included five Central Minimum Wage Council labor members from the RENGO side and five councilors from the MHLW.

The RENGO side requested that the ministry use RENGO's demand for the future's sake saying, "circumstances for workers are tough and it is more important now to observe the laws. Labor and management are working on this matter and we want the government to support from administrative point of view." RENGO also conveyed other demands including that the ministry presides over "deliberations on the topic of shifting the minimum wage by region from day and hourly indicators to only hourly wage indicators in order to optimize efficiency from the 2002 fiscal year."
The Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, responded by showing its recognition "minimum wages are the base of a safety-net for employment." Furthermore they emphasized its positive stance for the fulfillment and development of the system saying, "the importance of the minimum wage system is rising. Protecting this system is the calling of public administration. We want to care of its most fundamental part while responding to the changes in the times."