Toyota workers raised safety concerns with bosses in 2006 memo

[liberal N proud]

The notice told of worries about employees and vehicles over the automaker's push to trim costs and boost production.

Reporting from Toyota City, Japan - All six Toyota veterans around the table agreed: The memo they were about to send to senior management could damage their careers.

The workers had recognized a troubling trend. In recent years, the automaker had kicked into high gear to fill the booming U.S. demand for smaller, more gas-efficient vehicles.

The union men had watched the company take what they believed were dangerous safety and manpower shortcuts to lower costs and boost production.

Alienating bosses could make the men company pariahs. But they knew they had to sound the alarm. From 2000 to 2005, their memo pointed out, Toyota had recalled more than 5 million cars -- 36% of all sold vehicles, a rate higher than other companies.

Toyota's failure to act, the two-page notice warned, may "become a great problem that involves the company's survival."

They added: "We are concerned about the processes which are essential for producing safe cars, but that ultimately may be ignored, with production continued in the name of competition."

They presented the letterto management and held their breath. But they needn't have worried. Toyota never responded.

"They completely ignored us," recalled Tadao Wakatsuki, 62, a veteran assembly line worker who formed the union. "That's the Toyota way."


Much more at link: http://www.latimes.com/news/la-fi-toyota-canaries8-2010mar08,0,5602804.story?track=ntothtml


A new day, a new allegation against Toyota

[Another Bill C.]

1. W. Edwards Deming

must be rolling in his grave.
Deming was the architect of the change in Japanese manufacturing philosophies after WWII that changed the phrase "made in Japan" from meaning "cheap shoddy goods" to the level of respect it gained in the later 20th century.

On a couple of occasions, I was asked to organize empowered work teams in American companies. At first, the American managers were enthusiastic but when they learned that they would lose some of the absolute power they had over production and the workers, they vehemently opposed it. It looks like Toyota has been Americanized.

[Trekologer]

2. But remember Toyota never had to recall vehicles

Or so their fans say.

[liberal N proud]

6. They just changed parts on cars without telling the customer

[Kokonoe]

3. Forming a new union is a good Toyota career move?

Sending a letter to the company, is a bad career move.

I'm glad we don't have their system.

[Brickbat]

4. I'm pleased to see every lie told about Toyota being exposed.

"They respect their workers and it's a much more worker-manager-friendly company" being the latest one.

[dkf]

5. Well that does it. No Toyota cars for me ever.

What a disgrace to the Japanese people. Shame on Toyota.

[athenasatanjesus]

7. Workers make much less money

thus logic would suggest they must know much less =p

[liberal N proud]

8. Toyota must not practice what it preaches

Doing things the "Toyota Way", any employee has the ability to stop production if there is an issue.

Another load of crap being sold by Toyota.