TOKYO (Reuters) -Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Tuesday that he will ask companies to implement significant wage hikes at next year's labour negotiations, as his government puts pay rises at the top of its public policy priorities.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s cabinet approved a stimulus package that’s slightly bigger than last year’s, as he followed up on a pledge to ramp up support for households and businesses struggling to cope with higher costs.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to unveil a $140 billion economic stimulus package to address a range of challenges from inflation to wage growth, following his election promises to alleviate a cost-of-living crunch.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Tuesday that he would ask companies to raise wages significantly during next year's labour negotiations in the spring, known as 'shunto'. Ishiba made the remarks at the end of a three-party meeting between the government,