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AT the history-making Profits Through Diversity conference late last year, the then Mr Herman Ouseley, Chief of the Commission for Race Equality, now a Knight, promised tough action against the absence of equal opportunity programmes in Japanese car manufacturing plants in this country.
Many of these companies operate a discriminatory employment policy on the shop floor and in their administration. This is in marked contrast to the enlightened multicultural practices of Western multinationals like General Motors and Ford, which have a non-racial appr,,mbbboach to employment both on the shop floor, and in adminillkkstration. Ford even has an Asian Equality Opportunity Officer to monitor its employment and work practices. One of Vauxhall's leading lights in the sales division is a cerebral American Goan lady.
Japanese companies have been less than enthusiastic about equal opportunity programmes, particularly Nissan, Toyota and Honda, all of whom not only thrived on cheap black labour during the apartheid era in South Africa, but were contemptuous of efforts by black Africans to be represented at managerial and executive levels.
Unfriendly to Black Media These three companies are also unfriendly to the Asian and black media in this country. Not only do they not advertise in a media serving some of the biggest buyers of their products in this country, but they also refuse to loan press cars to the Asian and black media.
While most Western companies, especially General Motors and Ford, recognise and respect the consumer power of the Asian and black communities, and treat the Asian and black media no less favourably than their white counterparts where press loans and launches are concerned, most Japanese companies operate a colour bar more worthy of former racist South Africa than multicultural Britain. Nissan, Toyota and Honda, defied the UN economic embargo on South Africa, and continued to operate there, unlike Ford and General Motors, who pulled out. Last year, Nissan took a team of all white journalists for the launch of one of their products to the former apartheid state!
One of Nissan's public relations men, a too clever by half fellow, when asked by an Asian newspaper for an explanation for this apartheid-style launch, would neither deny nor confirm the charge. He was evasive and promised to "get back" to us. Nearly six months later we have yet to hear from this bright spark gentleman, who obviously labours under the delusion that by aping the South African ostrich's head-in the-sand trick, he can run rings round the black media. However, we are not letting the matter rest there and will be taking it up with Nissan's headquarters in Tokyo, who are sensitive to such charges and who will obviously be intrigued by this uncalled for insolence from the mediocrity in their press office. We believe this man is generously paid by the Japanese company, who naturally expect him to discharge his duties in a professional manner, which includes being frank and open and also prompt in his response to the media, black, white, Asian or whatever.
In the process they kill and maim thousands of black people every year, contributing generously to South Africa's insane and matchless road slaughter. The apartheid ministry of transport officials joked that the Toyota Hiace was helping to reduce the black population in a Malthusian manner. Despite its prominence in the accident figures, the naive post-apartheid ministry of transport has yet to subject the Hiace to a critical test. No Complaints to CRE We, of course, have no intention of complaining to the CRE about the racism against the black and Asian motoring press. We have a few aces up our sleeves and will soon put these "uppity" creatures firmly in their place! Sir Herman, of course, will be concentrating on the employment practices of these companies. At the historic Profits Through Diversity Conference, addressed by a leading African-American Executive from GM, who reinforced his country's commitment to a very effective equal opportunities policy, Japanese car, electronics, sports goods and computer executives were conspicuous by their absence.
The broadcaster, Trevor Philips, also aware of Japanese racist discrimination, told the conference that while a car manufacturer in this country, who practised racial discrimination, may not be affected by an Asian and Caribbean boycott, because of their relatively small numbers, that same manufacturer may have to revise his policies if larger and more powerful markets in India, Pakistan. Nigeria or South Africa, for instance, were to sympathise with their kith and kin.
In the light of the globalisation of the car industry, with the formerly restricted markets of Asia now becoming a powerful force, and with intense competition between the Japanese and Western manufacturers for these markets, Sir Herman Ouseley's probe may even cause the haughty sons of Nippon to rethink their policies. Race Supremacy Idiocy The Japanese, supposedly, serious subscribers to race supremacy idiocy, elevating themselves above people of African descent, (one of their Prime Ministers actually blamed American decadence on alleged African -American backwardness, and was forced to issue a grovelling apology shortly after) and whites, ("America thinks 10 minutes ahead, while Japan thinks 10 years ahead," Shintaro Ishihara, Japanese elder statesman in his best seller, The Japan that Can Say No) had to eat humble pie in South Africa. There, despite their insolence, and contempt for the vermins of apartheid, they were forced to accept "Honorary White" status. But as they say, business is business, and Japanese industrialists and their white surrogates in this country may yet be forced to bow low and long before the hallowed shrine of "equality of opportunity.
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