S: Upholding human rights

Challenge

  • Upholding human rights

Relevant stakeholders

Direct: Employees, local communities, suppliers
Indirect: Shareholders and investors, creditors, NGOs, industry groups

Our policy

In the Toyo Tire Group, the majority of employees work outside of Japan, and more than half of our consolidated net sales are generated overseas. Our business is expanding globally, and we have growing opportunities to communicate with diverse stakeholders both in and outside of the company, making it ever more important to act in a way that respects the human rights of everyone involved in our corporate activities.
In January 2019, we enacted the Global Human Rights & Labor Policy, which supports the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ILO Declaration and 10 principles of the United Nations Global Compact.
As our business globalizes and our stakeholders diversify, we strive to carry out our business in a way that respects the human rights of everyone involved in our corporate activities, including those in our workplaces, at our suppliers, and within the communities where we operate. This will help us contribute to creating an inclusive society that supports everyone, including socially vulnerable people, by protecting them from exclusion, conflict, loneliness and isolation. Group employees also recognize that they may potentially cause, contribute to or be complicit in adverse impacts on human rights through their own activities, and work to prevent this.

Responsible executive (as of April 2023)

Corporate Officer and Vice President of Corporate Headquarters

Action promotion system (as of April 2023)

Corporate Headquarters leads promotion of activities and reports progress to the Sustainability Committee.
The Sustainability Committee, chaired by the President, meets four times a year to report, discuss and approve activities related to human rights.
Corporate Headquarters takes the lead in promoting activities and discussing the promotion of human rights based on the Global Human Rights & Labor Policy. We have also set up a system to prevent human rights violations on a daily basis.

Activity promotion system

Grievance mechanism

  • Reporting hotline (whistle-blowing system): For executives, employees and suppliers
  • Customer Relations Department: For customers (consumers) and local communities
  • Online inquiry form: For customers (consumers), shareholders and investors, and NGOs
  • Labor-Management Council Meetings: For employees

Activities

Raising awareness of respect for human rights

We work continuously to raise awareness of the company’s responsibility to respect human rights by providing all Group employees e-learning sessions on our Corporate Code of Conduct, and level-specific and other training organized by the HR department that focuses on human rights issues within business. We also conduct human rights education for new employees and at position- and level-specific training sessions, and participate in human rights awareness activities at every region where our business sites are located. In addition, we strive to respect the human rights of everyone related to our business operations, including suppliers and communities where we conduct business. On Human Rights Day each December 10, the President of Toyo Tire Corporation sends a message on human rights to all employees of the Group, stressing the importance of having a foundation of deeply diverse talent to generate value through our business, and of demonstrating sincerity with all stakeholders, as declared in our philosophy. The Toyo Tire Group will remain committed to improving awareness of human rights and preventing adverse impacts on them within our corporate activities and workplaces.

Internal reporting system

Since 2006, the Group has operated an internal reporting system for all compliance issues, including human rights, for employees and suppliers. We accept anonymous reports to consider the privacy of those seeking advice and protect whistleblowers. When consulted or a report is received, we conduct an internal investigation as needed and take corrective action to address any actual issues. In addition, we continuously hold training sessions based on specific cases to detect potential issues at an early stage and prevent occurrence.

Respect for the rights of workers

Preventing forced labor and child labor

The Group does not allow labor practices that violate laws in any country or region. We comply with Japan’s Labor Standards Act and do not employ children under the working age, nor physically or mentally restrain workers, nor engage in unwilling forced labor. Before hiring, we check that the person is of working age and provide a notice of employment conditions, prior to concluding an employment contract based on mutual agreement.

Preventing low-wage labor and long working hours

Toyo Tire Corporation pays appropriate wages that exceed the minimum and living wages based on Japan’s Minimum Wage Act, in order to improve the lives and health of our workers. From the standpoint of preventing long working hours, we formulate and announce an annual Policy on Employee-Employer Agreement under Article 36 of the Labor Standards Act, conduct thorough labor-management negotiations, and manage working hours properly in order to reduce overtime work.

The U.K. Modern Slavery Act

TOYO TIRE is taking steps to prevent forced labor and human trafficking in the Group and its supply chains, in accordance with Section 54, Paragraph 1 of the U.K. Modern Slavery Act.

Human rights initiatives in the supply chain