Japan Press Weekly

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2008 November 19 - 25 [LABOR]

Isuzu will fire all its non-regular workers before 2009

Isuzu Motors Limited on November 20 announced a plan to lay off all of its 1,400 contingent workers working at its factories in Japan within this year even though their contracts have not expired.

The reason Isuzu gave for the mass dismissal is that it has been obliged to cut production. However, Isuzu is expected to earn 60 billion yen in profits in its consolidated account. This means that the automaker maintains a financial base capable of keeping the present level of employment.

In March this year, the automaker promised the Japanese Communist Party Dietmembers’ Group to make an effort to give contingent workers sent from staffing agencies fixed-term or full-time positions at Isuzu under direct contracts.

Instead of fulfilling this promise, the company is set to sack all of contingent workers. Its corporate social responsibility will inevitably be called into question.

Mazda Motor Corporation has also decided to fire more than 1,800 contingent workers by the end of this year, which is about 70 percent of its all temporary workers.

Toyota will cut another 3,000 fixed-term workers in addition to the already-dismissed 3,000 workers. Nissan and Suzuki will also cut 1,500 and 600 temporary jobs, respectively, as if all these car manufactures are competing with each other to decrease their numbers of non-regular workers.