Topic: Toyota gets attacked for worker rights abuses

[Cord]

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/18/toyota-gets-attacked-for-worker-rights-abuses/

In the last ten years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of foreign guest workers employed in Aichi Prefecture, home to Toyota and the country’s auto industry.  The surge of poor foreign guest workers coincides with Toyota’s ten year plan to slash the price it is willing to pay its auto part suppliers.  Toyota is more than half way into its ten year plan, which in the first three years called for price cuts of up to 30 percent followed by a further 15 percent cut in the fourth through sixth years.  There are four years left in Toyota’s cost reduction program.

Foreign guest workers are not only stripped of their passports—one of the most serious of all human rights violations—they are also prohibited from leaving the factory they are contracted to, or even changing the housing they are assigned.  If a guest worker dares change jobs or moves, he or she will be immediately and forcibly deported.  Moreover, if guest workers even dare to complain about the abusive and illegal conditions, they will also be deported.

http://www.nlcnet.org/article.php?id=562#Toyota%20Linked%20to%20Human%20Trafficking

[initial_D]

From the link:

Sweatshops and human trafficking:  Toyota’s parts supply chain is riddled with sweatshop abuse, including the human trafficking of tens of thousands of foreign guest workers—mostly from China and Vietnam—to Japan, where they are stripped of their passports and forced to work grueling hours seven days a week, often earning less than half the legal minimum wage.  Sixteen-hour shifts, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight are common.


Most of the article is referring to labour conditions in Asia.

[ArticSteve]

Turning out good parts at least.   

[Mitlov]

From the link:

Sweatshops and human trafficking:  Toyota’s parts supply chain is riddled with sweatshop abuse, including the human trafficking of tens of thousands of foreign guest workers—mostly from China and Vietnam—to Japan, where they are stripped of their passports and forced to work grueling hours seven days a week, often earning less than half the legal minimum wage.  Sixteen-hour shifts, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight are common.


Most of the article is referring to labour conditions in Asia.

Even so, the portion Cord cited describes these very same abuses in Aichi Prefecture.

And so what if the majority of the abuses happened in mainland Asia, at Toyota's parts suppliers' factories?  We all know that if Ford chose to use a parts supplier, based out of, say, Mexico, that used sweatshop conditions, people would criticize Ford for that choice.  Nobody would say "but that didn't happen in the USA" or "that was just a parts supplier."

[initial_D]

I agree with what you said, Motlov. It is sad and sickening to see stuff like that. Perhaps some form of union is needed for workers in those working conditions.

Unfortunately, it is a deep root problem, and will take decades to improve in those countries. Pointing the finger and criticize certain companies using the labor force and manufacturing facilities there won't do anything.

[tpl]

Sort of a variant on the Nike argument.

Which would you rather; your daughter in a Nike sweatshop or on the street selling herself to the tourists.

[Mitlov]

I agree with what you said, Motlov. It is sad and sickening to see stuff like that. Perhaps some form of union is needed for workers in those working conditions.

I agree.  It's really disappointing to me that there's been more outrage on this forum over a silly "buy domestic" statement by a CAW spokesperson than these very serious abuses.  Some unions may have gone a little too far here in North America, but a world without organized labor is a miserable place indeed.

[Mitlov]

Sort of a variant on the Nike argument.

Which would you rather; your daughter in a Nike sweatshop or on the street selling herself to the tourists.

That argument ignores option 3: Nike/Toyota's parts suppliers/etc could have a shred of responsibility and pay its Southeast Asian workers a living wage (which still is an absolutely tiny amount over there compared to a typical wage in North America or Japan) while only making them work 8-12 hour shifts instead of 16+.  They would still make a profit; the locals would still have jobs, but the locals would also have reasonable living conditions.

Just because a local employment market is so bad that an employer CAN find people who will work in near-slave-labor conditions doesn't mean a company SHOULD exploit that.

[safristi]

..HUH.... Maybe the US SUPREME (there's a monniker!!!!) Court could Rule Not just on Guantanamo but tha WORLD.........sheesh such HUBRIS........

[initial_D]

Give, take, steal ... people and gov't will do whatever they can get away with ...

[Cord]

Unfortunately, it is a deep root problem, and will take decades to improve in those countries. Pointing the finger and criticize certain companies using the labor force and manufacturing facilities there won't do anything.

That sounds like a total copout. These days it's not even questioned whether or not it's OK to point fingers at GM and demand that they stop producing Hummers in order to further some perceived benefit.

But pointing fingers at Toyota for blatant abuses of its workers won't do anything? Come on.

Good grief. I remember the cries of oppression around here when it was revealed that the nasty Ford bosses at one factory wouldn't allow non-Ford vehicles in the company parking lot.

[initial_D]

For the record, my original statement was referring to the ROOT of the problem in those countries, even stopping and expelling certain companies out of business operation in those region is just a scratch on the surface. Problems exist 'here' because the media reported them.

[Zoo]

Other than how workers are being treated I see one cause for concern here...

Pinching pennies on parts and parts suppliers is a recipe for poor quality. I am convinced that this is part of what hurt the big 2.8 in the past. As they cut parts prices the parts suppliers cut corners whereever they could to maintain some semblence of margin. The result was parts which would fail earlier than maybe they should have.

If Toyota goes down this road they may fine their quality deteriorating which could be a dangerous thing with Hyundai and others getting better every year.

What a departure from the 1992 Camry which was overengineered if anything and cost more than it needed to (to manufacture). Hopefully Toyota doesn't fall into the pinch every penny until the quality falls out trap.

[UmroAyyar]

The manufacturers should be exposed if they are involved in anything like that. Much like Nike, Mittal and other companies that get their products manufactured in cheap labour conditions. Everyone has eyes on Toyota because it has grown bigger and prominent. The domestics had been under the scanner too.

What other car makers get their products built outside of North America with cheap labour?

[Cord]

Problems exist 'here' because the media reported them.

Yes, if only the media would shut up and let these businesses carry on as usual there would be no problem here.

[initial_D]

Somehow, I found the purpose of this thread is to attack a certain company. I wonder if your opinion will change if the company you work for have similar practices or have business associate with companies that do.

[Triple Bob]

Why doesn't anyone criticise the consumer, it's us that demand constantly lower prices.

 

[Cord]

Somehow, I found the purpose of this thread is to attack a certain company. I wonder if your opinion will change if the company you work for have similar practices or have business associate with companies that do.

Hey, don't shoot the messenger. I didn't write those articles. But then, your responses seem to be defending a certain company. Why, I don't know. If those allegations are even partly true they are indefensible.

Maybe now some of the self-righteous Prius drivers and their ilk will feel a little bit of the same wrath that they have been spewing at SUV and truck drivers. I know I've read on this forum where people have asked which Toyotas are actually made in Japan as they didn't feel that North American made cars would be of the same quality. Maybe these people will now think twice about their vehicle selection criteria.

[Cord]

Why doesn't anyone criticise the consumer, it's us that demand constantly lower prices.

 

That's an interesting twist. So it's actually our fault that Toyota has had to take advantage of its workers in order to price its magnificent products so low (and to earn its $12B in profits).

30 lashes for us. Carry on Toyota. All is forgiven as long as your product is good.

[Frontier1]

Somehow, I found the purpose of this thread is to attack a certain company. I wonder if your opinion will change if the company you work for have similar practices or have business associate with companies that do.

Hum...and no one here ever attacks other companies.  Goes on all the time.