Toyota threatens to stop production in Turkey

03.08.2012

Toyota Motor Corporation representatives have threatened to close down their Boshoku Turkey plant during a meeting with the Ministry of Labor officials, according to a report by the Star daily.

Içerigi Paylas |

The report said a group of representatives from Toyota's headquarters in Japan met with officials from the ministry to resolve lawsuits that had been filed against the company by 15 of their workers. The workers had filed their cases after another employee who was working at the company's production site received TL 150,000 in compensation after he filed a suit against the company claiming health issues, in particular a loss of sensation in his fingers. This case set an example for the rest of the workers who were experiencing similar issues.

A parliamentary commission, which received several complaint letters, also begun investigating the issue. The total compensation that the workers are seeking exceeds several million dollars, the report said, which drew the attention of Toyota's headquarters in Japan.

Concerned by the lawsuits and wanting to take immediate action, Toyota sent their representatives from Japan to inspect the plant and to meet with the ministry to seek a solution. The representatives brought up the company's concerns over the issue and mentioned that they had plans to invest $2.5 million to improve work conditions and safety at the plant. However, the report implied that the representatives also threatened to withdraw all their investments in Turkey and stop production. Toyota argued the consecutive lawsuits filed against the company claiming “occupational illnesses” were deliberate and unfair towards the company.

Officials from the ministry responded by explaining the laws and regulations regarding workplace safety and told the representatives that they would further investigate the issue. According the report, the Toyota representatives also met with several ministers to express their concerns and are still looking for ways to resolve the issue without going to court.

Toyota has been experiencing problems at its plant in Turkey in recent months. There were allegations that on May 24 a member of the senior management team had told the employees of the painting division to continue working at noon, even though that was when Muslim men attended their Friday prayers, and had said that “working was also worshipping God” following requests by workers to rearrange their lunch break so that they could attend the prayers. In addition, some claims accused the company of making the employees work like “robots.” There were also allegations that the Turkish plant had fired 143 of its employees in March and April because of their religious beliefs and practices.

The prosecution of the claims of discrimination, begun by the parliamentary Human Rights Commission, is ongoing. Commission head Ayhan Sefer Üstün had written a letter to Toyota President Akio Toyoda raising concerns about the allegations of discrimination. In response, the company apologized for the incident and opened three prayer rooms at the plant.

Source : todayszaman.com
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