The top is a tough place to be. Just ask Toyota, which is now facing charges of worker right abuses, including the use of sweat shops and human trafficking. As we've reported before, Japan even has a word for being overworked to death: karoshi. Toyota plants are not immune to this stress-related disease, as workers at its plants have indeed suffered death due to working too hard. These facts have caught the attention of The National Labor Committee, which has an entire report worked up that alleges Toyota over-works and under-pays its Japanese employees and has ties to various unsavory Dictators. It's also been well established that Toyota does not want its American workforce unionized.The report is being directly targeted at Prius-driving celebrities who see Toyota as the shining green beacon in a world of pollution-spewing car companies. Whether or not this report has all its facts straight, if famous Toyota supporters in Hollywood react to these allegations, Toyota could indeed have a public relations disaster on its hands.
[Source: The National Labor Committee via World Car Fans]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
ML @ Jun 18th 2008 2:30PM
This has me wondering . . . does anyone know what kind of vehicle Toyota is scheduled to produce at their new plant in Tupelo, Mississippi?
ASEVENSEE4 @ Jun 18th 2008 2:33PM
Don't they already build the highlander there? They should be building the Venza there too unless I'm wrong.
mnhr3d @ Jun 18th 2008 3:40PM
The Venza most likely will be made at the Georgetown plant in KY. As for the Mississippi plant, it still hasn't opened yet.
SITEiNK @ Jun 18th 2008 6:34PM
of course they don't want it unionized, then they'd be on a more even playing field with some of the other american manufactures.
we couldn't have that.
ASEVENSEE4 @ Jun 18th 2008 2:31PM
HOW DARE THEY SULLY TOYOTA'S GOOD NAME WITH THIS SLANDEROUS FILTH!!!!!!!
;)
SayWhat? @ Jun 18th 2008 3:19PM
You tell 'em, ASEVENSEE4. They could have at least waited for the sequel! *Snicker!*
Randy @ Jun 19th 2008 7:34PM
I'll never buy a Toyota! It's slavery! Against everything this country stands for!
Volk @ Jun 19th 2008 10:26PM
Don't know about Toyota but another Japanese sweatshop called Honda is a Nazi camp for sure. For one, each department has a "Party representative" whose main responsibility is to watch local managers as well as employees and report to Japan; even in IT, everyone must be at his desk at 8 am and no minute later; lunch exactly 12 to 1 pm – not a minute earlier, not a minute later - flexible hours, what is it?; work until work is done – even if it’s 2 or 3 am in the morning; to talk to your colleague you must first obtain a permission from the manager, even on business matter, forget about small talk, if you don’t – the manager will be after you immediately. Managers located strategically to have an unobstructed view of every employee. Team leads are charged with watching that at no time anyone uses Internet even for checking personal email, actually most sites, Yahoo, Hotmail, Google mail are blocked. You’re not allowed to have earphones even though software developers are seated right beside customer support folks who are constantly on the phone. Office decoration – propaganda posters warning employees that enemies are everywhere, shred everything, be watchful. Office itself – a huge industrial shed with no windows and cubicle walls just 5 feet high. Most horrible 5 months in my 20+ year career, I think. Not exaggerating a bit. (But don’t get me wrong – I totally oppose unions; IMO, unions has been destroying American manufacturing)
Nicolas @ Jun 18th 2008 2:34PM
The Prius involved in a human rights scandal?!
Just what Tyler Durden needed!
Yar @ Jun 18th 2008 2:36PM
"It's also been well established that Toyota does not want its American workforce unionized."
So, it's OK to abuse corporations, as long as workers 30 minute coffee breaks and 2 hour lunches.
tbss_in_the_D @ Jun 18th 2008 2:38PM
I am not pro union or work for a union, but you are a misinformed idiot.
Nicolas @ Jun 18th 2008 2:58PM
2600 workers in Oshawa can't be wrong!!
O wait. Yeah they can!
ML @ Jun 18th 2008 3:14PM
So Toyota and Walmart have something in common afterall . . .
Guenther @ Jun 18th 2008 5:06PM
Toyota doesn't want the UAW in their plants, neither does anyone else. That isn't a political statement, just fact based on hoe much money the UAW costs the D3
ryan @ Jun 18th 2008 2:38PM
sweat shops? human trafficking? very interesting. i knew they worked a lot, but i didn't know about those others. have to read it for myself when i get home.
MachinaDC5 @ Jun 18th 2008 2:39PM
So when unions strike everybody hates them, but in cases like this...?
Torrent @ Jun 18th 2008 2:39PM
'bout time Toyota gets some hate rants going on.
-Honda and the gays
-Ford and the Gays
-Chrysler and their ability to suck at everything...
2004m3driver @ Jun 18th 2008 2:50PM
Damn, this is a tough call. A bad car, a gay car, or a murdering car. I guess its time to be fabulous.
Aprime @ Jun 18th 2008 5:14PM
+ It's the only automaker with a war named after it.
Kotse @ Jun 18th 2008 2:41PM
Excelling in ones self is but a cultural thing (albeit unfavorable to the Japanese extreme of "karoshi") for Asians...
There is a saying..The Japanese doesn't say "NO" or "can't be done" on anything...they just say "..it will be difficult."