Toyota plans to cut daily vehicle production in Japan in the next fiscal year and reduce the maximum operating hours of its plants by 30 minutes per day, according to local reports citing an “industry insider”, to ensure product quality and reduce pressure on its workers.
The decision followed a number of certification scandals within the group over the last two years, including Daihatsu and more recently Toyota Industries.
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Toyota plants in Japan typically operate two eight hour shifts per day plus overtime. At the beginning of the next fiscal year, which starts 1 April, the automaker plans to reduce the maximum overtime set for each production line by 30 minutes to allow employees to work more flexible schedules, according to the reports.
Plants in Japan have been operating at close to full capacity in the last year following the Covid pandemic and subsequent supply chain shortages with workers and suppliers under pressure to make up for lost production.
The reports suggested Toyota planned to cut daily production in Japan from the current 15,000 vehicles per day to 14,000 from April while maintaining its global production target of 10.3m units by increasing some overseas production.
Toyota was also expected to review its new vehicle development programmes with tight schedules partly blamed for the Daihatsu and Toyota Industries scandals.
