Labor unions at major Japanese automakers on Wednesday submitted their wage hike requests to the management side for this year’s shuntō spring labor-management talks.

While the focus is on whether the strong pay hike momentum seen in last year’s shuntō can be maintained, the outlook is uncertain, with Nissan’s union significantly lowering its demand for bonuses.

Negotiations are expected to intensify toward March 12, when many major companies will give their answers to their labor unions.