Japanese firms agreed to wage increases averaging 5.46 percent in this year's negotiations with labor unions, the Japanese Trade Union Confederation said Friday in a preliminary survey, the second consecutive year for raises to exceed 5 percent.The average wage hike, 0.18 percentage point higher from last year which saw the sharpest climb since 1991, translates to a 17,828 yen ($120) rise per month, according to the confederation known as Rengo, the largest labor union umbrella organization in Japan.Labor unions among small and midsize firms experienced ripple effects from increases at larg…READ FULL ARTICLE
