The Wall Street Journal (Tokyo) - Japanese auto makers will redefine their weekends—at least for the summer—as companies look for ways to limit the effect on production from a looming electricity shortage.
Factories for auto and auto-parts makers will be closed on Thursdays and Fridays and operate on Saturdays and Sundays from July to September to limit power use during the week, when electricity consumption is generally higher, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said Thursday.
So far, measures announced to cope with energy shortages have mostly been company-specific. The announcement by the auto association indicates more industrywide approaches are now being considered.
The government has set a target to cut electricity use by manufacturers by 15% this summer, when demand would traditionally pick up for things such as air-conditioner usage. The March 11 earthquake and tsunami crippled some power plants in the eastern part of the country.
Several challenges exist for the auto association in adopting a broad change in work days. Workers are likely to raise questions about weekend child-care provisions, for instance. Car makers are expected to start talks with their unions soon.
Unions at the three top Japanese auto makers—Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co.—weren't immediately available for comment.
The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, or JAMA, acknowledged the scheduling difficulties. But "the auto industry concluded it is an effective measure to change holidays from Saturday and Sunday to weekdays as a way of limiting peak-time power consumption without disruption to production," said Toshiyuki Shiga, the association's chairman. Mr. Shiga is also Nissan's chief operating officer.
JAMA, which represents 14 car and motorcycle makers, is anxious to avoid power blackouts this summer because Japanese auto makers are just beginning to resume some of the domestic production suspended after the March disaster, which cut off a global supply chain of parts from suppliers in eastern Japan.
Other industry groups have shown interest in the schedule changes but have yet to reach a decision, the association said, without elaborating.
On Wednesday, the Japan Supermarkets Association cited steps that it will take along with two other supermarket groups to reach the targeted cut in electricity consumption. The three groups plan to reduce electricity used for lighting by half, set air conditioners at a relatively high summer temperature of 28 degrees Celsius and cut the number of freezers and refrigerators used between July and September.
Meanwhile, Sony Corp. is in talks with its labor unions to begin work an hour earlier than usual so it can turn off air conditioners during the late afternoon. The electronics company is also considering introducing a weeklong rotating holiday for group companies in August, when power demand tends to peak, a spokeswoman for Sony said Thursday.
Toshiba Corp. President Norio Sasaki has said the technology conglomerate is contemplating dividing its domestic work force into three groups and having them each take about a week off on a rotating basis.
JAMA said that even as the summer production schedule is implemented, car makers will need to work more on cutting electricity consumption.
Mr. Shiga has said Nissan might start morning production shifts a little earlier than usual, and introduce night shifts to lower daytime power use. Its back-office employees could delay the start of their workday, he said.
A spokesman for Nissan said Thursday the company will begin talks with its unions regarding the introduction of the new holiday shift and other suggested working conditions. Toyota Motor and Honda Motor also said Thursday they will have similar talks with their unions.
Suzuki Motor Corp. Chief Executive Osamu Suzuki last week suggested that the company's employees dress more casually—shedding suits and ties—during Japan's hot and humid summer, to save on energy use from air conditioners.
