Japanese ports may be hit by strike

Tokyo: Japanese unions have threatened ports around the country with a 72-hour strike beginning April 19 if the next round of wage and compensation talks (to be held this Thursday) reaches no conclusion, writes Portworld. The warning by the Japanese Confederation of Port and Transport Workers and the National Council of Dockworkers Union of Japan (NCDUJ) follows six unsuccessful rounds of wage discussions.

A spokesperson for the 20,000 member NCDUJ has dismissed the idea that workers were seeking wage rises, instead stating that they for salaries to remain at current levels. Port workers are also seeking the creation of a fund for victims of work-related asbestosis.  [15/04/08]