This year's winter bonuses paid to Japanese central government workers Tuesday were down from a year before as legislation for a hike recommended by the National Personnel Authority has yet to obtain approval from parliament.

Bonuses excluding for those in managerial posts averaged roughly ¥652,800, down ¥21,500, or about 3.2%.

The bill to revise the law on remunerations for government workers calls for setting annual bonuses at an equivalent of 4.6 months' salary, up by 0.1 month.

If the amendment is enacted, winter bonuses will climb by around 7.1% from the previous year to approximately ¥722,000 on average, with the shortfall to be paid at a later date.

The end-of-year bonuses for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, including the payment he receives as a lawmaker, totaled some ¥3.41 million.

Ishiba's total winter bonuses should have been about ¥5.79 million, but the prime minister, who took office in early October, was not paid the full amount because he has been in office for less than three months and he is voluntarily returning 30% of his pay as part of administrative and fiscal reform measures.