[APWSLMembers 779] Statement concerning recall problem of Toyota

[tomoo banno]

＜The Toyota related news＞ＮＯ．15-2
from APWSL・Aichi Group <Apr13.2010>

Statement concerning recall problem of Toyota
　　　　　　　　　　All Toyota Union (ATU)　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　March 24, 2010

The recall problem of Toyota Motor is gazed all over the world as a social 
problem.
The worldwide recall problem this time (2010) , 1. Accelerator pedal is 
caught by floor mat., 2. Accelerator pedal sometimes stay on floor after 
depressing due to the wear-out., 3.  The brake of HV vehicle like “Prius” 
sometimes become uncontrollable at moment. The above 3 problems caused 
serious recall more than 10.2 million vehicles totally in Japan, China, US 
and Europe, and it became the beginning of the pursuit in an American 
assembly.

Why did it fell into such a situation?
All Toyota Union submitted 'Request book on the recall problem' to the 
company dated October 3, 2006 four years ago, and pointed out the rapid 
increase of the recall and cover-up of defective vehicles, which can be 
taken as a cover-up of recall, declare an important anxiety in safety in 
production, proposed to carry out the social responsibility, and requested 
the answer, but have been neglected, as a result.
We should say that the management foundation, which doesn't hear the 
employee's opinions, saying usually "The customer is the most important.", 
conceives the biggest problem.
President Mr. Toyoda reflected "One of the reasons, which caused the quality 
problem, is the excessive priority to the market share and the profit in 
some parts of the company", and clarified that "Quantity and cost reduction" 
got priority to "Safety and quality".
However, it is thought that the real situation is as follows.
That is, about 30,000 parts are necessary to fabricate an automobile. Many 
of the parts are supplied from more than 300 supplier companies who have the 
business   relationship with Toyota.
After 2000, the workers who make each parts were excluded from the 
workplace, and a large number of dispatched or foreign workers, etc. have 
been employed as cheap manpower according to the cost 30% reduction plan 
having been forcibly done in the supplier.
There are actual situations of the worker who work by the hourly wage 300 
yen etc. far lower than the minimum of legally allowed wage, unstable 
employment and life, where the labor accidents happens frequently under poor 
environments.
Exactly, it is real reason of the problem this time, that Toyota has made up 
the mechanism with which only Toyota can makes a profit.
Another point is, "The customer is the most important." cannot be more than 
a word, without solving the problems of a large number of non-regular 
employees and too busy technical experts workers boarding the pressure of 
manufacturing time-limits, tight labor management which make overwork death 
and depression disease.
The seriousness of Toyota is tested now, how they will learn from history 
and experience seriously, and if they have a real mind to change their 
constitution of "The first priority on quantities" and "on commercialism" or 
not, in the continuous accidents of their company.
We labor unions will also not only work on the union member's working 
condition improvement but also seriously check the antisocial behavior of 
the company including recall problem, cost cutting, and the problem-making 
employment system in cooperation with the citizens, from the viewpoints of 
accomplishing social responsibility.
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