ACTION

Many of the places where we build our factories are in mainly agricultural regions that have not yet developed industrially. In fact, in some places, there is not even the practice of going to work at a set hour every morning, and of course, there is no practice of using sewing machines. In such places, we correct disparities and provide steady income by paying wages and bonuses stipulated by law without unfairly exploiting the labor force. We also make efforts to provide equal opportunities and spread education to prevent disparities between men and women as well as distortions in employer-employee/superior-subordinate relationships.

Bangladesh

Provision of commuting means (shuttle bus)

Vietnam

Contribution to society through donations to community groups

China

Enrichment of local economies by creating employment opportunities

When many of the local residents are engaged in agriculture, they will usually have enough to get by, but there is no stability and no insurance for unforeseen situations. Since the age of working population is relatively young, falling on the child-rearing generation, they cannot work with peace of mind under circumstances where children are not guaranteed to be sufficiently fed. We are addressing community-wide food issues through various activities, such as not only providing meals at factories but also making donations of a portion of our profits to administrative bodies so that our staff can work free from anxiety.

Bangladesh

Donations of dietary supplements to students who attend nearby schools

Myanmar

Provision of nutritious meals

Vietnam

Donations of a portion of the profits to administrative bodies that give aid to the poor

Good heath is the most important thing in living a fulfilling life. All of MATSUOKA’s factories continue efforts to keep employees in good health by implementing statutory medical check-ups and improving the social insurance system. In addition, we have established elaborate system designs according to posts and positions, such as implementation of medical check-ups of the staff handling chemicals, etc., every six months. Accordingly, these efforts lead not only to the realization of maintenance and improvement of work quality and productivity, but also to the stabilization of recruitment costs, etc. We also strive to disseminate knowledge on daily hygiene, including announcements on infection control measures that can be taken at home to prevent novel coronavirus infections, etc.

Bangladesh

Initiatives to spread the digital salary payment system to assist employees in planning an enriched life

Bangladesh

Resident medical staff to support employees’ health maintenance

Bangladesh

Contribution to improvement of relationship between employees by implementation of recreational activities

In our manufacturing, there are many elements that can only be learned through daily work, such as careful consideration to detail and empathy for others. We focus our energies on language education, including Japanese and English, which forms the basis for communication to realize smooth operation at work. In addition, we provide various other opportunities for education, such as provision of training to managerial workers by inviting visiting lecturers. We promote the importance of education through not only on-the-job training but also local community contributions, including donations of stationery, etc., to neighborhood children.

Bangladesh

Backup of employees’ upskilling by various training programs

Myanmar

Provision of “opportunities for learning” for employees, such as acquisition of sewing-related techniques

China

Utilization of knowledge of textile and quality control acquired through study sessions and seminars in business operations

We actively promote people to higher positions regardless of gender. Since there are many talented female workers in the sewing business, we have a lot of women in higher positions. We flexibly respond to maternity leave and childcare leave, etc., and also focus our energies on career formation after they return to work, to create an environment in which women can play active roles. Furthermore, we realize open workplaces, by installing opinion boxes to identify issues that tend to be latent in consideration of privacy protection and detection of harassment-related problems. We will continue to make environmental improvements to prevent the occurrence of unjustifiable gender discrimination, etc., through system designs by female managers, etc.

Bangladesh

Active promotion of women to responsible positions

Bangladesh

Installation of opinion boxes as a measure against harassment to promote creation of an environment where everyone can talk about their problems

Vietnam

Creation of equal employment opportunities irrespective of gender, age, wok history, etc.

On many of the planned construction sites for factories, infrastructure, including electricity and water, has not been developed, and it is a matter of life and death to ensure safe drinking water. Our business is strongly associated with maintenance and development of infrastructure. In consideration of the impact on the environment of the surrounding area, the installation of purification equipment, etc., is thoroughgoing, including facilities to purify factory effluents and daily life water. We aim to construct safe water quality environments based on legal standards, such as water quality inspections, infectious disease screenings, and other hygienic structures.

Bangladesh

Maintenance of safe water and hygienic environments by regular checks and maintenance

Myanmar

Implementation of regular water quality inspection of drinking water and effluents

Bangladesh

Expansion and maintenance of effluent treatment and water purification facilities in consideration of the surrounding environment and improvement of water quality

We set a goal to reduce CO2 emissions by 35% per piece of clothing by 2030 (as compared to 2019). To this end, we also focus our energies on equipment investments, such as installation of solar panels for renewable energy on the roofs of factories, etc. Further, we strive to stably ensure natural energy through the utilization of battery technology and utilize it as regional infrastructure in the event of natural disasters, etc., in the future. Aiming to create a comfortable environment with use of as little electricity as possible, we will actively promote the utilization of clean energy throughout the whole group.

Vietnam

Suppression of temperature rise within the premises by thermal barrier treatment on the roofs of the factory

Bangladesh

Adoption of an air-conditioning system using water for cooling the inside of the factory

Bangladesh

Rigid enforcement of energy reduction by installing LED lights in place of fluorescent lights