Protestbriefe an Toyota

Mr. Cho Fujio
Chairman Toyota Motor Corp.

June 21, 2001
ZEN-ZOSEN (Kanto Regional Council of
the Japan All Shipbuilding and
Engineering Union)

President Shimada Kazuo
Kanagawa City Union Yokosuka

President Masaki Hikaru

Letter of Demand

Last April 23rd, we submitted a letter for Mr. Cho Fuji, Chariman, at the Tokyo head office with Mr. Ed Cubelo, who is the president of the trade union of Toyota Philippine (TMPCWA = Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation Workers Association) to answer to our demands with regard to a mass lay off of Toyota Philippine staff, and an attempt to displace the TMPCWA trade union which was made by the management of Toyota Philippine.

However your company delivered an answer that this matter is very sensitive, and therefore they cannot make any comment through officials, and up to now, we unfortunately could not get any answer to our demands. We indeed regret this kind of insincere response, thus we strongly protest to you. As chariman, you and your company all have a responsibility to prevent this labor dispute from getting serious and being prolonged.

According to a media report, on May 28th, security guards of you company with shot guns fired 6 bullets and beat with nightsticks members of the TMPCWA union who staged a peaceful picket protest simultaneously in front of Toyota Bicutan and Sta.Rosa plants (No one disturbed people bringing parts into the plants for production). Ten members were injured and brought to a hospital, and among them one had been surrounded by 5 security guards, and more than ten wounds inflicted on his body when he was beaten, and he needed an urgent operation.

Is this compatible with the words spoken by you that the three basic policies of "customer first," "be a good corporate citizen" and " mutual (labor and management) confidence and responsibility with the employees?" Also, you yourself trampled on the main corporate philosophy of your company "to respect domestic and international laws and their spirit, and to become a respectable citizen in international society through open and fair business operations." Your company's promotion slogan "drive your dreams" sounds false. This dispute began because Toyota Philippine have not recognized the TMPCWA union, which was recognized officially by the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment, and secured rights to organize according to the Constitution of the Philippines. Toyota Philippine attempted to expel the union, was not seeking a settlement,but just attempted to prolong the dispute.

Therefore we strongly demand that you reflect on the lack of business morals, the Japanese
management style of doing whatever is necessary for profit, having double standards in domestic operations and overseas operations, and furthermore poor ability to settle a dispute, even if you have a "Code of Conduct in overseas operations."

We again demand of Chariman Cho Fujio as follows:

1. We demand you suspend the lay off of 227 union members in accordance with the return to work order of the Department of Labor and Employment of the Philippines, and allow a return of work of all employees.
2. We demand that the management of Toyota Philippine end its hostile attitude towards the TMPCWA union, and give up repeatedly filling cases in court. Toyota Philippine has to settle through negotiation and collective bargaining with TMPCWA union as is normal in relations between labor and management.
3. We demand that Toyota Philippine stop putting pressure on the Department of Labor and Employment to withdraw its operations from the Philippines.
4. We demand of Toyota Philippine that it compensate in full the medical costs, and deliver an apology to TMPCWA union for violent action.
5. We request for you to enforce your company's Code of conduct in overseas operationsI and Company Operation Charter .

Please sincerely answer our demands by written document by the end of June. Furthermore, we will not allow you to refuse to answer. We have already circulated this news among the international community, and the international community is interested in your response.

Contact address:

ZEN-ZOSEN (Kanto Regional Council of the Japan All Shipbuilding and Engineering Union)
Tel & Fax +81-45-575-1948

Kanagawa City Union Yokosuka
Tel +81-468-41-0346
Fax +81-468-43-8224
e-mail protest-toyota@jca.apc.org

[for reference]

March 21, 2001
ZEN-ZOSEN (Kanto Regional Council of
the Japan All Shipbuilding and
Engineering Union)

President Shimada Kazuo
Kanagawa City Union Yokosuka

President Masaki Hikaru

Mr. Cho Fujio
President
Toyota Motor Corp.

We received an appeal from TMPCWA (Toyota Motor Philippines Workers Association) through YCW (Young Christian Workers) of Philippines, which is attached herein.

According to the appeal,

• TMPCWA had the certification election for the union last March 8, 2000 with majority of the workers voted yes for the union.
• In spite of the fact that the union was certified as the sole and exclusive bargaining representative by the Labor Department, the Toyota management still refuses to recognize the union and even strengthen their harassment to destroy the union up to the present time.
• (The company) filed again another labor case ... just to delay the negotiation and to demoralize the union members.
• (Due to these extraordinary situation at Toyota Motor Philippines), the union had no choice but to start the call for a strike.
• The union have already conducted strike vote with more than majority of the members agreed and voted yes and showed readiness to go on strike.
• In light of the above, the union is appealing for our support and assistance, financial, material, and moral to sustain this struggle.

The 8th IMF Toyota World Council, which was held in July 1999, declared in its resolution that "We base ourselves on democracy and support the right of workers at all the operation units of Toyota Company and its suppliers in the whole world to organize strong trade unions without interference by the management or the government." Mr. Cho Fujio, President, attended the council and gave a speech emphasizing that "Customer First", "To be a good corporate citizen" and "Mutual confidence and responsibility" are the basic policy of the company in managing the operation in the country and in abroad.

The basic policy of Toyota Motor Corp. includes its willingness to "respect the national and international laws and the spirit behind these laws" and "become a respectable corporate citizen of the international society through open and fair business operation" as its first commitment.

The hostility shown by the employers of Toyota Motor Philippines against the union activities of TMPCWA cannot be accepted in the light of the basic policy of Toyota Motor Corp.

To make matters worse, Toyota Motor Philippines abruptly dismissed 291 workers on the 15th of March and suspended 30 workers. TMPCWA was forced to start strike actions at Bictan factory and Santa Losa factory with dismissed workers picketing in front of the gates.

A hearing was taken place at the office of Department of Labor and Employment on the 20th of this month, but the company only sent their lawyer as their representative. DoLE ordered the management should attend the next hearing to be held on the 27th.

It is clear that the dismissal is aimed at destroying the union.

We cannot accept the attack by the management of Toyota Motor Philippines against TMPCWA. We want you to:

1. withdraw the dismissal of members of TMPCWA and immediately let them return to their place.
2. withdraw the suspension of members of TMPCWA and immediately let them return to their place.
3. make the management of Toyota Motor Philippines abandon the hostile attitude against TMPCWA, withdraw lawsuits against the union, and take to the negotiation table on the collective bargaining contract in a normalized employee-employer relation.
4. make the management of Toyota Motor Philippines extend its apology to TMPCWA on its hostile and unfair behaviors.

Contact address: ZEN-ZOSEN (Kanto Regional Council of the Japan All Shipbuilding and Engineering Union) Tel & Fax+81-45-575-1948

Kanagawa City Union Yokosuka $B!!(BTel +81-468-41-0346 Fax +81-468-43-8224 $B!!!!!!!!!!(B e-mail$B!((B protest-toyota@jca.apc.org

[for reference]

April 23 2001

To Mr. Cho Fujio, President,
Toyota Motor Corp.

We sent a letter to you on March 29 asking you to stop the union-busting towards the Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation Workers Association ( TMPCWA )
and to reply by April 13.
But we have not received you reply as yet. We are very disappointed, as we were expecting your sincere response.

Since March 29, we have acquired the following information:

1. The Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation ( TMPC ) claims to have dismissed and suspended workers due to their absence without leave on the occasion of their attendance to the hearing at the Department of Labor and Employment ( DOLE ) Concerning the union certification on February 22 and 23.
2. Since March 28, TMPC is trying to break the strike by entering the plants using helicopters and by breaking in through the adjacent building wall.
3. TMPC pressured the DOLE to issue a temporary restraining order to stop the strike by threatening the government to close the plants and to pull out.
4. On April 9, policemen and guards attacked our picket line to break the strike.

We want to remind you again that you gave a speech at the 8th. Toyota World Council held in July 1999 emphasizing that the three basic policies of the company were " Customer First" " To be a good corporate citizen" and " mutual confidence and responsibility with the employees." Also the main corporate philosophy of your company
is " To respect domestic and international laws and their spirit, and to become a respectable citizen in the international society through open and fair business operation."

This labor dispute started because TMPC refused to recognize the TMPCWA and filed a complaint to the DOLE, which had certified TMPCWA as the sole and exclusive bargaining agent following the approval by the majority of the workers in the union certification election held on March 8 2000. The DOLE held hearings and rejected the company's complaint after Hearing the argument of the union and the management. Still the company is unwilling to recognize the union and have brought the case to the court. This hostility shown by the Management of TMPC against the union activities of TMPCWA cannot be accepted in the light of the basic policies of Toyota Motor Corp. as referred in your speech.

We ask you again on the following points:

1. To obey the return-to-work order by the DOLE and withdraw the dismissal and reinstate immediately all the 227 TMPCWA members.
2. To make the management of TMPC abandon the hostile attitudes towards TMPCWA, withdraw lawsuit against the union and normalize the labor management relations by sitting at the table for a collective bargaining agreement.
3. To make the management of TMPC stop pressuring the DOLE with the threat of a plant closure.
4. To make the management of TMPC apologize to TMPCWA for the hostility and brutality.

We expect your reply by May 7 in document.

Shimada Kazuo,
President, Japan All Shipbuilding and Engineering Union, Kanto Regional Council

(Executive committiee member; Takeshi Kojima)
Adress;505 San-Kohpo 20-9
Toyookacyo Tsurumi-ku
Yokohama-City
230-0062
JAPAN E-mail; protest-toyota@jca.apc.org

Masaki Hikaru,
President, Kanagawa City Union, Yokosuka

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