Toyota Executive:French Work Harder Than Britons, Americans

SINGAPORE March 2, 2003; Dow Jones reported that Toyota Motor Corp.'s French workers toil harder than their U.K. and U.S. counterparts because of the high levels of unemployment they face, according to a senior executive at the Japanese carmaker, the Financial Times reported on its Web site Monday.

Toyota's French factory is 20% more efficient than its U.S. operations because well-off American workers don't need the money as much, said Kosuke Shiramizu, board member in charge of Toyota's global production.

North Americans are "rather wealthy and therefore don't want to work too hard, " Shiramizu said. "In France there are many unemployed people and so (those with jobs) tend to work harder. That may be the difference."

Shiramizu said the company's U.K. workers were held back by "institutional differences" compared with France, Indonesia and Thailand.

He said Thais showed greater willingness to adapt to different jobs, while Britons tended to be more picky.

Shiramizu was also scathing about the company's Japanese workforce, its most efficient.

"People not so willing to work as they were," he said. "They like to goof around and are taking on European attitudes."

Shiramizu said one reason for Japan's high productivity was some of the company's most developed machinery isn't exported to factories abroad to prevent it from falling into the hands of rivals.

Derek Simpson, general secretary of Amicus, which represents company workers in the U.K., said the comments were "deeply offensive."

"We will be seeking meetings with the management for them to either elaborate or apologize," Simpson said.

The assessment contrasts with independent studies, which show France at the bottom of the automotive productivity league and Britain at the top.