[APWSLMembers 701] Toyota-Related News No.1

[Takahei Masahito]

  Dear friends

  Asian Pacific Workers' Solidarity Link (APWSL) Japan is comprised of scores of labor unions and individual labor activists. It has regular meetings in the Tokyo area and Osaka area. A new regional body was set up in the Aichi area in July 2008.
  Aichi area is in the middle of Japan and is the biggest industrial area in Japan. The central city, Nagoya has a population of 2.3 million and the head office of Toyota and the Chubu International Airport are nearby.
The political, social and regional influence of the Toyota Motor Company has prominently increased recently. Also, the number of labor disputes and law suits against Toyota and its parts supply chain has increased. This is the result of the formation of All Toyota Union (ATU) which is fighting with the majority company union and of the active citizensf support action for the ATU. It was these activists involved in the support action that came together to set up APWSL Aichi.
APWSL Aichi has decided to compile an Email newsletter focused on Toyota related actions and to send it out internationally. This is the first issue. 
  APWSL Japan is sending it through the APWSL Mailing List. Please send your questions and comments to the APWSL Mailing List.

                        March 2009  
                                APWSL Japan
                               Takahei Masahito <takaheim ¡÷ jca.apc.org>


    == Toyota-Related News No.1 ==
       (Toyota-Related News From APWSL Aichi)
 
 1) All Toyota Union Does Early Morning Leafleting At Kariya Station
   ATUiAll Toyota Unionjis a labor union that organizes both permanent and temporary workers and is currently made up of around 20 members from Toyota Motor and all its related companies.  ATU's mission is to stand with workers and negotiate with the employers for a favourable outcome meeting the workers' demands.
   On January 26, 2009, we distributed 2,300 leaflets at Kariya station, a station which is located near many Toyota-affiliated factories. The leaflets detailed our campaigns such as the 2009 Spring Labor Offensive, the hotline for labor-related inquiries, and the ATU membership drive.
   The leaflets were placed in pocket-sized packets of tissue paper so that workers could conveniently take them.

 2) ATUS E-mail Newsletter Issued
   ATUS is a citizens group supporting ATU. Volume 5 of the ATUS e-mail newsletter Reimei (Dawn) was released on January 15, 2009, and contains 12 articles concerning Toyota. The newsletter is published on an ad hoc basis four to fives times a year.
 
 3)Show of solidarity near Toyota Cup Stadium
   Toyota Cup, the international soccer competition, was held at Toyota Stadium on December 14, 2008. Some 34 Aichi supporters came together in front of Toyota City station, which is located near the stadium, and showed their support for the Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation Workers Association (TMPCWA) by using banners, flags, microphones, and distributing 2,500 leaflets.
 
 4) The 25th Toyota Symposium 
   On November 30, 2008, 101 people participated in the 25th Toyota Symposium, which was held in Toyota City, the location of Toyota Motor headquarters. 
   The themes included the problem of temporary worker layoffs in Toyota-affiliated companies, and the deteriorating working terms and conditions accompanied by Toyota's poor performance. Toyota Motor staff also spoke up about their experiences and opinions.
 
 5) Meeting Promoting Uchino Trial Ruling
   Some 100 people attended the meeting to promote the ruling of the Uchino Trial which was held in Nagoya on November 29, 2008.
   On November 30, 2007, plaintiffs won the lawsuit for their claim to seek recognition of the death from overwork ("karoshi") of Mr. Kenichi Uchino, a Toyota Motor employee. The ruling recognized that "QC activities", usually conducted outside standard working hours and deemed to be voluntary work, was overtime. The meeting was a fruitful opportunity for the campaign attempting to promote all industrial workplaces of the outcome of the ruling, including the nature of work to prevent death from overwork and the handling of QC and improvement ("kaizen") activities to be within working hours.