JCP urges Mazda to withdraw plan to lay off temps

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

JCP urges Mazda to withdraw plan to lay off temps

Japanese Communist Party representatives on November 10 visited Mazda Motor Corporation to request that the major Japanese automaker withdraw its plan to lay off temporary workers.

JCP representatives, including members of the House of Councilors Nihi Sohei and Yamashita Yoshiki along with Nakabayashi Yoshiko, a former House of Representatives member, took this action immediately after media reported that Mazda was planning to cut 800 temporary jobs under the pretext of downturn in production.

In the meeting, a Mazda official rejected the JCP representative’s request for the disclosure of the concrete job cut plan.

The JCP representatives also visited the Hiroshima Prefecural Government and the Hiroshima Labor Bureau to demand that they give Mazda instructions to fulfill its social responsibility.

After the meeting, Nihi announced that the JCP Hiroshima Prefectural Committee will set up a task force on this issue, stating, “The present problem began with the adverse revision of the Worker Dispatch Law in 1999 that eased restrictions on the use of temporary workers. The JCP will make every effort to achieve a fundamental revision of the current Worker Dispatch Law while forcing Mazda to withdraw the lay off plan.” - Akahata, November 11, 2008