But the UAW has been more than supportive of both the Mazda plant and the labor changes that Mazda has pioneered in Flat Rock, says the company. The cooperative relationship we have established with the UAW has gained particular notice in Detroit. Although Japanese companies are anxious to see their unique management style implemented in overseas operations, workers have only to look at their Japanese counterparts to see the folly of blindly accepting the Japanese model. Japanese workers have failed to achieve labor rights that are standard fare throughout the developed world. The eight hour day is not the rule for most workers in Japan.
Sick leave has yet to be written into law.
Only a few industries, most notably banking and finance corporations, are talking of making the five-day work week a reality before 1990. The work week was only recently decreased from 48 to 46 hours, but many businesses were given exemptions. According to the Ministry of Labor, in 1986 Japanese workers worked 2,150 hours, while U.S. workers worked only 1,924 hours. Nearly 14 percent of all Japanese workers needed an hour or more to commute to and from work, compared to only 6 percent in the United States. Social security for Japan's elderly comes through saving and working.