Japan workers strike at US bases

The US has several bases in Japan, including on the island of Okinawa

Thousands of Japanese support workers at US military bases across Japan have taken part in a strike over a planned pay cut.

The workers carried out a half-day nationwide walkout in response to a proposal to reduce their benefits.

The staff are paid by the government in Tokyo, which wants to cut costs.

It is the first such strike since 1991, but a US military official said that critical operations at bases were not being affected.

About 50,000 US military personnel are stationed at bases in Japan, which covers some of the costs under a bilateral deal. Union leaders said workers - who do jobs such as cleaning, restaurant work and maintenance - were being asked to accept a 10% pay cut.

The strike showed workers would not accept one-sided changes to their working conditions, union chairman Kazuo Yamakawa said.

The US supported workers' "peaceful exercise of their legal rights", a US military official said.