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Article

26 Jul 2007

Author:
Sachiko Sakamaki, Bloomberg

'Slave Labor' Lawsuit Forces Japan to Rethink Training Program

…Le Thi Kim Lien says she toiled in a sweatshop supplying parts for Toyota and Nissan automobiles. Le [worked] at TMC Ltd., sometimes working from 8:30 a.m. until past midnight…Almost half [her salary] was put into a bank account she couldn't access, her passport was taken and she was fined 15 yen a minute for bathroom breaks, according to a lawsuit Le and five colleagues filed in Nagoya District Court…TMC is a subcontractor for Tokai Craft…TMC Chairman Masaru Morihira declined to comment on the allegations…[Toyota urges Japanese firms and their agents to observe national labor laws] spokeswoman Shiori Hashimoto said in a response…Nissan Motor spokeswoman Tomo Nagami declined to comment on suppliers...TMC's Morihira said he also shipped parts to Honda Motor Co. Honda spokesman Shigeki Endo said the company has never had any direct business dealings with TMC or Tokai Craft.