The Liberals have decided, very sensibly, not to throw any more good money after bad and so TOYOTA has decided, as did HOLDEN, to close down. Why am I not surprised?
This is what TOYOTA's CEO, Akio Toyoda, said during a recent business luncheon (paraphrased):
“Two years ago we were working so hard to create conditions whereby we could stay in this wonderful country and produce cars.
We had restructured the business and, despite acceding to recent union demands for even better wages and conditions, we were seeing a dim light flickering at the end of the tunnel.
We were honest with our employees and had explained the seriousness of the company’s economic plight.
They had assured us of their cooperation, so we determined to all pull together in a desperate attempt keep the company viable.
There was an air of camaraderie, a feeling of hope.
It was Australia Day that week and it fell on a Thursday. On the Friday thirty percent of our workforce didn’t turn up, thirty percent called in sick.
That’s when I finally realised we were stuffed.”
