4-yr-old union memo adds to safety woes

A four-year-old memo from factory workers warning safety was being put at risk by aggressive cost-cutting has aggravated the woes of Toyota.

A four-year-old memo from factory workers warning safety was being put at risk by aggressive cost-cutting has aggravated the woes of Toyota.

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At the request of a US Congressional committee, Toyota has handed over a 2006 letter from the All Toyota Labour Union, which complained quality was being compromised by longer working hours, outsourcing, shortened development time and a drop in the number of experienced employees in favour of contractors.

The 20-member union sent the letter amid concern over a surge in recalls of faulty Toyota vehicles. The same year, Toyota was the subject of a criminal investigation into negligence allegations, following an accident in Japan that injured a family of five. The company was eventually cleared.