The Japanese unions will ask for a wage increase of at least 5%.

The Japanese unions will ask for a wage increase of at least 5%.

Japan's largest trade union confederation, Rengo, intends to ask companies to raise workers' wages by at least 5 percent, and ideally 6 percent, in negotiations next year, Bloomberg reports, citing the union's statement. "We have achieved salary growth of at least 5% for three years in a row," Rengo board chairman Tomoko Yoshino told reporters. "We need to try to ensure that real wage growth will consistently exceed inflation by at least 1 percent. Rango represents the interests of about 7 million workers, or about 10% of Japan's workforce.