Two major labor unions in Japan's port cargo handling sector, the 'National Harbor Labor Union Federation' and the 'All Japan Harbor Transport Labor Union Alliance', initiated a 24-hour nationwide strike today (20th), with participation exceeding 17,000 workers, leading to a complete halt of operations at ports nationwide, including Tokyo and Yokohama.

According to reports, the unions' demands are primarily focused on adjustments to base salaries and improvements in working conditions, calling for an increase of 30,000 yen (approximately 6,852.6 TWD) per month or over 10% to be implemented, as well as raising the starting salary for new employees to 220,000 yen (approximately 50,252.3 TWD). However, negotiations with the representatives of the employers, the 'Japan Port Transport Association', did not result in a consensus, prompting the decision to strike.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism reported that the unions had previously conducted two strikes on March 30 and April 13, resulting in some delays in cargo delivery at certain ports, but since both were on Sundays, the impact was not severe. Regarding this action, Taketake Hajime, the chairman of the National Harbor Labor Union Federation, stated, 'We continue to engage in dialogue with employers aiming to create an attractive working environment; however, progress has been limited. If consensus is not reached in the future, the unions do not rule out the possibility of continuing strikes.' The Japan Port Transport Association has responded that they have been notified of the unions' potential continued strikes and will exert every effort in labor negotiations to minimize impact.