However, we did see a major change in ECC’s attitude toward performance based salary increases. The union made it very clear that we would not accept the record low increases of the 2009 academic year. ECC approached the union with a proposal that the average increase would be increased to 30 yen per hour ( 3,700 yen monthly) and the maximum rank would be set at 60 yen per month (7,400 yen monthly).