Filed under: Government/Legal, Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, Safety, Toyota, UAW/Unions, Celebrities, Carsumer Advocacy
Toyota gets attacked for worker rights abuses
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]
_opt_thumbnail.jpg)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
ML 2:30PM (6/18/2008)
This has me wondering . . . does anyone know what kind of vehicle Toyota is scheduled to produce at their new plant in Tupelo, Mississippi?
Reply
ASEVENSEE4 2:33PM (6/18/2008)
Don't they already build the highlander there? They should be building the Venza there too unless I'm wrong.
mnhr3d 3:40PM (6/18/2008)
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 6:34PM (6/18/2008)
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 2:31PM (6/18/2008)
HOW DARE THEY SULLY TOYOTA'S GOOD NAME WITH THIS SLANDEROUS FILTH!!!!!!!
;)
Reply
SayWhat? 3:19PM (6/18/2008)
You tell 'em, ASEVENSEE4. They could have at least waited for the sequel! *Snicker!*
Randy 7:34PM (6/19/2008)
I'll never buy a Toyota! It's slavery! Against everything this country stands for!
Volk 10:26PM (6/19/2008)
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 2:34PM (6/18/2008)
The Prius involved in a human rights scandal?!
Just what Tyler Durden needed!
Reply
Yar 2:36PM (6/18/2008)
"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.
Reply
tbss_in_the_D 2:38PM (6/18/2008)
I am not pro union or work for a union, but you are a misinformed idiot.
Nicolas 2:58PM (6/18/2008)
2600 workers in Oshawa can't be wrong!!
O wait. Yeah they can!
ML 3:14PM (6/18/2008)
So Toyota and Walmart have something in common afterall . . .
Guenther 5:06PM (6/18/2008)
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 2:38PM (6/18/2008)
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.
Reply
MachinaDC5 2:39PM (6/18/2008)
So when unions strike everybody hates them, but in cases like this...?
Reply
Torrent 2:39PM (6/18/2008)
'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...
Reply
2004m3driver 2:50PM (6/18/2008)
Damn, this is a tough call. A bad car, a gay car, or a murdering car. I guess its time to be fabulous.
Aprime 5:14PM (6/18/2008)
+ It's the only automaker with a war named after it.
Kotse 2:41PM (6/18/2008)
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."
Reply