LabourNet Germany

Home Über unsSuchenTermine

Dear friends,

On July 3, there was a dialogue about our request over the telephone between Mr.Sawada (Assistant manager, General Affairs Department, Toyota Tokyo HQ) and Mr. Hayakawa (Secretary General, Kanto Regional Council, ZEN-ZOSEN-the Japan All Shipbuilding and Engineering Union).

Mr. Sawada: We cannot make a respose to your petition letter, as mentioned before (on April 23, 2001).

Mr. Hayakawa: Do you understand what actually happened? Mr. Sawada: I think that Asian Business Department of Toyota HQ and other departments understand about the violent incident in the Philippines. Mr. Hayakawa: Why doesn't the HQ make efforts to solve the issue? Mr. Sawada: It will be an appropriate way to solve it between the parties concerned in the Philippines.

Mr. Hayakawa: So, are they negotiating to solve the issue? Mr. Sawada: I think that they are doing in some form or another, but I don't know about the details.

Mr. Sawada: As for the "Code of Conduct", I will let you know about our ideaafter consulting with our Public Relations Department. Mr. Hayakawa: Are there any other conflicts between Toyota companies and their employees in the world?

Mr. Sawada: In Indonesa, our factory stopped mistakenly. At present, it is only in the Philippines that we have such a conflict. Mr. Hayakawa: It is allegedly said that the factory suggests longer conflict might lead to its closure. Is it true?

Mr. Sawada: I hope not, as the factory has been operating for 10 years.

Union Yokosuka Kojima Takeshi
e-mail: Bprotest-toyota@jca.apc.org

[Our request ]

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$B!!(B

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 operations" 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: Bprotest-toyota@jca.apc.org


Home
LabourNet Germany: http://www.labournet.de/
Der virtuelle Treffpunkt der Gewerkschafts- und Betriebslinken
The virtual meeting place of the left in the unions and in the workplace
Datei:
Datum: