Honda factories remain idle as talks continue
By Elaine Kurtenbach |
June 2, 2010, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
HONDA'S car-assembly factories in China remained stalled by a strike yesterday as some workers held out for a wage increase bigger than the 24 percent the company is promising.
A union official said his group was still trying to convince employees holding out for twice the nearly 400 yuan (US$150) monthly increase the firm has offered to return to work at Honda Auto Parts Manufacturing Co in the coastal city of Foshan in south Guangdong Province.
"Some are still struggling to get more," an official with the Nanhai union in Foshan, surnamed Li, told The Associated Press. "As the district labor union we hope the mess will end as soon as possible."
Li confirmed reports that workers clashed on Monday with union officials and that some were later hospitalized.
The strike at the Honda parts factory caused a lack of transmissions and engine parts that forced the company to shut production at its four assembly plants in China last week.
The stoppages come at an awkward time for Honda, which just last week announced it would add capacity in China to meet surging demand in what has become the world's biggest auto market.
Honda, also plagued by recalls, jumped from a loss to a 72-billion-yen (US$774-million) profit for the January-March quarter, helped by booming demand in China and India.
The company is facing added pressures to keep costs under control at a time of intense price competition with Toyota and other automotive rivals.
Honda is aiming to raise annual production capacity by nearly a third to 830,000 units by 2012 in China.
But it will be grappling with an increasingly restive workforce as it does so.
"Honda's workers went on strike as the only effective way to negotiate with the company for better treatment," said Chang Kai, a labor expert at Beijing's Renmin University.
Almost all the striking workers had agreed to a 24-percent increase in total starting wages, equating to 1,910 yuan (US$280) per month as of Monday, said Honda spokeswoman Yasuko Matsuura.
Some production at the parts factory restarted on Monday but it was again stopped yesterday, according to a Honda press release issued last night in Tokyo.
Factories depending on the parts plant will stay closed until tomorrow, with the schedule after that undecided.
Global manufacturers that rely on low-wage Chinese workers to keep costs down are struggling to attract and keep young employees who are proving less willing than earlier generations to put up with miserable conditions and poor wages.
The strike has affected two factories at the Guangqi Honda Automobile Co joint venture in Guangzhou, which make the Accord sedan and Odyssey minivan.
Dongfeng Honda in central Hubei Province, which produces the Civic and CRV SUV, also suspended output.
A union official said his group was still trying to convince employees holding out for twice the nearly 400 yuan (US$150) monthly increase the firm has offered to return to work at Honda Auto Parts Manufacturing Co in the coastal city of Foshan in south Guangdong Province.
"Some are still struggling to get more," an official with the Nanhai union in Foshan, surnamed Li, told The Associated Press. "As the district labor union we hope the mess will end as soon as possible."
Li confirmed reports that workers clashed on Monday with union officials and that some were later hospitalized.
The strike at the Honda parts factory caused a lack of transmissions and engine parts that forced the company to shut production at its four assembly plants in China last week.
The stoppages come at an awkward time for Honda, which just last week announced it would add capacity in China to meet surging demand in what has become the world's biggest auto market.
Honda, also plagued by recalls, jumped from a loss to a 72-billion-yen (US$774-million) profit for the January-March quarter, helped by booming demand in China and India.
The company is facing added pressures to keep costs under control at a time of intense price competition with Toyota and other automotive rivals.
Honda is aiming to raise annual production capacity by nearly a third to 830,000 units by 2012 in China.
But it will be grappling with an increasingly restive workforce as it does so.
"Honda's workers went on strike as the only effective way to negotiate with the company for better treatment," said Chang Kai, a labor expert at Beijing's Renmin University.
Almost all the striking workers had agreed to a 24-percent increase in total starting wages, equating to 1,910 yuan (US$280) per month as of Monday, said Honda spokeswoman Yasuko Matsuura.
Some production at the parts factory restarted on Monday but it was again stopped yesterday, according to a Honda press release issued last night in Tokyo.
Factories depending on the parts plant will stay closed until tomorrow, with the schedule after that undecided.
Global manufacturers that rely on low-wage Chinese workers to keep costs down are struggling to attract and keep young employees who are proving less willing than earlier generations to put up with miserable conditions and poor wages.
The strike has affected two factories at the Guangqi Honda Automobile Co joint venture in Guangzhou, which make the Accord sedan and Odyssey minivan.
Dongfeng Honda in central Hubei Province, which produces the Civic and CRV SUV, also suspended output.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
