Toyota Vietnam gave a 3-month suspension to an engineer who exposed the company’s technical faults, but they insist it was unrelated.
TMV General Director Akito Tachibana at the conference on June 13
Le Van Tach released information about serious technical problems in cars produced at Toyota’s plant in Vietnam that triggered a recall of over 65,000 cars. But, according to Toyota Vietnam (TMV), the suspension of Tach was not in response to this incident.
At a press conference in Hanoi on Monday, a representative of the company said that the suspension, which began June 13, was due to, “Tach’s behaviour, which negatively affected the morale and the reputation of other employees.”
The company will pay him 50% of his salary during the suspension.
However, according to Tach, after exposing technical flaws in cars assembled at the plant, he started receiving threats and insults from his colleagues.
On May 31, Tach submitted a letter to the management of TMV complaining that seven senior managers had insulted and threatened him after he released the information.
Tach produced tapes of recorded conversations between managers in which they insulted him. However, TMV refused to issue any apology, saying that the complaints were without merit.
At the press conference, Toyota Vietnam made public emails supposedly sent by Tach to Akito Tachibana, General Director of TMV. The emails warned that Tachibana would have to pay for his mistakes.
Tach also complained that he was prevented by one of his managers, Nguyen Dinh Chuong, from taking off work April 7-9, when he was sick.
TMV’s representative insisted that the suspension was to vindicate Chuong, and to preserve his integrity within the company, and had nothing to do with the exposure of technical flaws.
On Monday TMV announced four minor quality control issues in the Innova, Fortuner and Vios models, assembled and sold in the local market. However, declined to reveal the number of vehicles affected.
Tach says that there are two additional problems in the Innova, Fortuner, Corolla Altis and Vios. These have not been confirmed by Toyota Vietnam.
Do Huu Duc, Deputy Head of the Vietnam Register, said that his agency has received TMV’s reports on the problems similar to those described by the engineer.
After the recall
Tach said, “I do not agree with TMV’s decision, but I will abide by it,” adding that he was surprised to hear Toyota’s reasoning for his suspension.
According to Tach, after the large recall, he was reassigned to another job, but still faced unfriendly attitudes from his colleagues.
After following the story, a Hanoi-based company, specialising in designing and constructing steel structures, invited Tach to work for them.
In a recent interview with DTiNews, attorney Nguyen Hong Bach from Hong Bach and Associates, said after the suspension, TMV can end Tach’s working contract, but that may expose them to a backlash in public opinion. “In my opinion, regardless of how this is handled now, the behaviour of TMV is not likely to win them much support in the eyes of the public,” he noted.
He added that his firm is willing to provide free assistance to Tach for his courage in exposing TMV’s technical problems that posed a danger to public safety.
Mr Tach showing evidence to reporters
Tach describing one of TMV\'s technical flaws