日本大型製造企業將給員工加薪

Major Japanese manufacturers are raising base wages for the first time in years, responding to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's request for action ahead of a sales tax increase that is widely expected to lead to a temporary economic slowdown.

日本主要製造商將數年來首次提高基本工資，對首相安倍晉三(Shinzo Abe)提出的在銷售稅上調之前採取行動的要求做出迴應。外界廣泛預計銷售稅上調將導致暫時性的經濟放緩。

Concerned about the impact that a combination of stagnant wage growth and rising prices would have on consumption, Mr. Abe has directly exhorted corporate leaders since last year to raise regular salaries. Japan's base wages have fallen since the late 1990s and the premier sees a reversal in this trend as crucial for the success of his pro-growth strategies.

由於擔心工資不漲而物價上升會給消費帶來影響，安倍晉三自去年以來就直接指示公司高管提高常規工資水平。日本基本工資自上世紀九十年代末以來就在下降，安倍晉三認爲，扭轉工資下降趨勢是他的促增長策略能否取得成功的關鍵。

Following annual wage negotiations between unions and employers that wrap up Wednesday, many leading companies, including Toyota Motor Corp. and Panasonic Corp., said they would offer base pay raises. In Japan, manufacturers typically announce the results of their labor talks first, often setting the tone for the rest of the country.

週三工會與僱主之間的年度薪資談判結束之後，包括豐田汽車公司(Toyota Motor Co.)和松下電器產業公司(Panasonic Co.)在內的很多領軍企業表示將提高基本工資水平。在日本，製造業企業一般會率先公佈勞資談判結果，爲國內其他行業定下基調。

Predicting a record net profit for the current fiscal year, Toyota said it will increase base monthly salaries by an average Yen2,700 per worker from April. While that figure falls short of the Yen4,000 per month raise that the firm's labor unions were demanding, it is well over the previous Yen1,000 raise in 2008.

豐田汽車預計當前財政年度將實現創紀錄的淨利潤。該公司稱將從4月份開始將每位員工的基本月薪平均提高2,700日圓。雖然這個數字低於該公司工會要求的4,000日圓，但遠遠高於2008年1,000日圓的漲幅。

Honda Motor Co. said it will lift base wages by an average of Yen2,200 per worker. The company also decided to pay bonuses equivalent to close to half a year's worth of monthly pay, in line with its union's request.

本田汽車(Honda Motor Co.)宣佈每位員工基本工資平均上調2,200日圓。該公司還決定向員工支付相當於近六個月工資的年終獎，與工會的要求一致。

Panasonic Corp., Hitachi Ltd., NEC Corp., Toshiba Corp. and Mitsubishi Electric Corp. all said they will offer monthly increases of Yen2,000 per employee.

松下電器產業公司、日立公司(Hitachi Ltd.)、日本電氣公司(NEC Corporation)、東芝公司(Toshiba Co.)和三菱電機(Mitsubishi Electric Co.)都表示，他們將把每位員工的月工資上調2,000日圓。

Even though the figures are relatively small, economists took the news positively, noting that higher base pay will also further boost overtime rates and bonus payments and would have a larger net effect.

儘管工資上調幅度相對較小，但經濟學家們對這些加薪消息持肯定態度，他們指出，基本工資上調還將進一步促進加班費和獎金上調，將產生更大的實際效果。

'The figures that have come out so far are relatively strong,' said Yoshimasa Maruyama, senior economist at Itochu Economic Research Institute.

伊藤忠經濟研究所(Itochu Economic Research Institute)高級經濟學家丸山義正(Yoshimasa Maruyama)表示，迄今爲止公佈的工資上調數字相對來說還不錯。

But even with overtime, bonuses and other payments included, the salary rises still appear to fall short of a 3% rise expected for the nation's consumer price index. Prices are expected to jump in part due to an increase in the sales tax from 5% to 8% on April 1. That will mean that even with higher wages, compensation levels will fall in real terms, eroding consumers' purchasing power.

但即便是把加班費、獎金和其他薪酬項目包括在內，工資上漲幅度似乎仍不到3%，即預期中的日本消費者價格指數(CPI)升幅。價格可能將出現大幅上漲，部分原因是4月1日銷售稅將從5%上調至8%。這就意味着，儘管工資水平更高了，但實際意義上的薪酬水平還是會下降，從而侵蝕消費者的購買力。

'It could have a positive impact on the mind-set of consumers if people see increases in their nominal wages,' Mr. Maruyama said.

丸山義正說，名義工資的上漲可能會對消費者心態有正面影響。