The weaker yen has helped listed companies post record net profits for the fiscal year that ended in March, but those sky-high earnings are not expected to trickle down to employees or consumers.
The Democratic Party for the People has dealt a blow to the united-opposition strategy of long-time ally the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan ahead of this summer’s Upper House election.
The head of Japan’s largest labor organization attended a gathering of ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers on April 18, a rare move considering unions have long supported opposition parties.
There is nothing untoward or wrong about Japan’s largest labor organization lobbying the ruling camp for policies to promote the interests of workers. But by building closer relations with the ruling bloc, Rengo (Japanese Trade Union Confederation) could risk endorsing questionable policy measures favored by the administration or contributing to widening the rift within the opposition camp.