January 10, 2007
Almost a year ago we reported on the struggle of a group of auto workers employed by Toyota’s subsidiary in the Philippines. Their actions involved some highly innovative approaches to the problems globalization.
The backstory: In March, 2001 the Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation Workers Association (TMPCWA) won a certification election granting them the right to be recognized as sole bargaining agent for the rank and file workers of the Toyota Philippines Corporation. Toyota subsequently unlawfully dismissed 233 workers, including the entire union executive committee.
The union appealed for and received international support. In November, 2003 the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association requested the Government of the Philippines to initiate negotiations and reinstatement of the dismissed workers (case 2252).
In an innovative if not unique form of international labor action, TMPCWA affiliated with an independent Japanese union, an action not precluded by Japanese labor law. The union then asked the Toyota Motor Corporation headquarters in Japan to open negotiations. When Toyota refused, the union filed an unfair labor practice case with the Regional Labor Commission. (The National Labor Commission ruled that Japanese labor law did not apply because the dispute happened outside of Japan.) TMPCWA and Japanese supporters also filed a complaint with the OECD contact point in Japan charging gross violation of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. The office says it is still investigating.
In response to pressure, Toyota Philippines began meeting with the TMPCWA. But meanwhile the company began trying to bring in another union, dubbed the Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation Labour Organization (TMPCLO). Despite a disputed representation election in which neither union won a majority, the Department of Labour and Employment certified TMPCLO as the sole and exclusive bargaining agent for rank-and-file workers.
When TMPCWA members went peacefully to the Department of Labor and Employment to update their case and protest certification of the company-supported union, armed security guards tried to keep the group from entering. According to one member of the group,
“Some TMPCWA members pushed through to the inside of the buildings. Five gunshots echoed while the securities of the buildings. Some of the members suffered serious injuries from the bat of the securities.” The police arrested 21 workers and charged them with damage to property, assault, and inciting to sedition. They were released after two days and no prosecution was brought.
Meanwhile, international support continued to grow. In March, 2006 Toyota trade union representatives from Japan, Thailand, Australia, South Africa, and the UK joined Philippine Toyota workers for an emergency meeting in Manila, met with the company, and planned global strategy.
In May, the International Metalworkers Federation (IMF) launched a global campaign for reinstatement of the fired workers. A September 12 “Day of Action” highlighted the struggle around the world. In Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Hobart, Adelaide, and Perth, Australia Toyota workers and others demonstrated outside Toyota plants and dealerships and Japanese consulates. In Bangladesh and India, union officials met with the Japanese ambassador. In Belgium and Indonesia, trade unionists demonstrated at the Japanese embassy. In Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Curacao, France, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, and South Korea, and Mexico, trade unionists sent letters of protest to the Japanese embassy. And that’s just the countries from A to M.
The United States was notably absent from the IMF’s list of 44 countries whose unions took part in the global “Day of Action” in support of the Philippine Toyota workers.
The union’s website is : http://www.tmpcwa.org
Philippine Toyota workers have recently produced a 23 minute DVD history of their struggle called “A Fight Without Borders” that can be ordered from their website.