Japan Press Weekly

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2012 February 8 - 14 [LABOR]

Workers urge Toyota to return part of internal reserves to society

A thousand people carried out the 33rd action on February 11 in Toyoda City (Aichi Pref.) hosting the Toyota Motors head office, urging the car maker to return a portion of its internal reserves to workers and assume corporate social responsibilities.

Toyota Motors has 13.8 trillion yen in consolidated internal reserves. However, the hourly wage for workers is 500 yen, making it impossible for the workers to keep afloat even if they work 15 hours a day.

At the rally, the organizer reported how Toyota avoids paying the consumption tax it should pay by cutting back its unit price to subcontractors.

Hayashi Asakichi, president of the Democratic commerce and Industry Organizations (Minsho) complained about the situation of Toyota subcontractors in Okazaki City, saying that the annual income of most of Minsho members, who are small business owners, is less than 2 million yen.

A branch of the All Japan Metal and Information Machinery Workers’ Union (JMIU) reported that its seven Brazilian members struggling against Toyota’s dismissal order have won their suit in the Nagoya High Court and were reinstated to their jobs in January.

A 38-year old man who works at a gas station for 850 yen an hour in Nagoya City said,
“My take-home pay in January was 130,000 yen. I came here to get Toyota to return part of its internal reserves to society.”