Toyota Motor Corp. and local community discuss ways to end long hours of work

Toyota Motor-affiliated company officials, union members, and the local administration and community in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, held an assembly on November 26 to discuss ways to end excessively long working hours and unpaid overtime work in the Toyota group.

The event was organized by the association consisting of Toyota Motor affiliate companies, the Toyota Labor Standards Inspection Office, and the Toyota Workers' Union affiliated with the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo).

Japanese Communist Party Hatta Hiroko, House of Councilors Dietmember, sent a message to the assembly.

Discussions also heavily reflected business circles' interests as represented by a speech by Seike Atsushi, a pro-business professor at Keio University, who emphasized the need to introduce a performance-based salary system.

Two years ago, Toyota Motor Co. received an administrative warning against unpaid overtime work, which was in violation of the Labor Standards Law. Urged by the Toyota Labor Standards Inspection Office, Toyota-affiliates and the union decided to hold an annual assembly to discuss the problem.

The Toyota Labor Standards Inspection Office however stated that the number of complaints from Toyota employees remains high. Concerning unpaid overtime, the number of complaints increased to 60 in 2002 from 35 in 2001, and concerning long working hours, complaints increased to 214 from 143. (end)