Toyota president open to raising wages in China

[July 09, 2010]  NAGOYA, Japan (AP) -- Toyota's president says the company is open to raising the wages of workers in China, where strikes have disrupted the automaker's operations in that fast-growing market.

Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda says raising wages brings benefits because it creates more customers who can buy Toyota vehicles. He says workers and managers in China should work more cooperatively because they both have the same goal of building quality cars.

Toyota as well as rival Honda Motor Corp. have repeatedly halted production at car assembly plants in China since mid-May because of strikes at affiliated suppliers.

The strikes have inspired labor unrest at a number of factories in China, where workers have complained about poor conditions.

[Associated Press; By DAN STRUMPF]

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