JAPAN: The nationwide annual "Shunto", or spring collective bargaining offensive, was concluded on March 13. Due to the country's prolonged economic slump and a record high unemployment rate of 5 per cent, most members of the IMF's 2.5 million-strong affiliate, the Japan Council of Metalworkers' Unions (IMF-JC) -- a major pacesetter for wage negotiations in Japan -- placed job security and maintaining current wage levels as the major priorities for this year's negotiations. Except for one company in the auto sector - Nissan Motor Co. - there were no basic wage increases throughout the metal industry. Nissan, which is expected to announce a full recovery by this spring, offered its workers a 1,000 yen (US$7.60) monthly base pay increase.