Honda reveals earthquake aid plans

After suffering damage to some factories including a collapsed wall at its R&D facility in Tochigi where one employee was killed Honda has revealed that many of its plants in Japan will remain closed all this week.

As well as leading to the death of a 43 year old male employee, the damage at Tochigi is reported to have caused injuries to 30 other Honda workers. Now Honda has revealed its plans to cope with the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami.

The firm's full release is below:

TOKYO, Japan, March 14, 2011 - Honda would like to express its deepest sympathy and condolences to the victims of The 2011 Off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake in northeastern Japan and our sincere hopes for the earliest possible relief and recovery of the affected areas.

<About Honda operations>

Considering the current situation of the nationwide recovery efforts in Japan, Honda has decided the following:

• As of March 14, all production activities are suspended at the following Honda plants: Sayama Plant at Saitama Factory (Sayama, Saitama), Ogawa Plant (Ogawa-machi, Hiki-gun Saitama), Tochigi Factory (Moka, Tochigi), Hamamatsu Factory (Hamamatsu, Shizuoka) and Suzuka Factory (Suzuka, Mie). 
• From March 15 through 20, Honda will suspend all production activities at its plants listed above as well as at Kumamoto Factory (Ozu-machi, Kikuchi-gun, Kumamoto). 
• From March 14 through 20, Honda will suspend regular operations at all Honda facilities in the Tochigi area, where damage was more serious, (including Tochigi Factory, Honda R&D Co., Ltd. Automobile R&D Center (Tochigi) , Honda Engineering Co., Ltd., etc.), and focus on the recovery of each operation. Honda associates will not come to work during this time.

<About aid for the victims of the earthquake>

With the hope to contribute to the earliest possible relief and recovery of affected areas, Honda will provide the following aid:

• 300 million yen toward the relief and recovery effort. 
• A total of 1,000 generators (gasoline-powered and home-use gas canister-powered), along with 5,000 gas canisters. Honda also will dispatch its staff to explain how to use the donated generators.

<About the electricity conservation and cooperation for the rolling blackout requested by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry>

Honda will cooperate to the electricity conservation efforts and the rolling blackout, prioritizing the relief and recovery of affected areas.

<About recruiting activities>

Honda decided the following regarding its recruiting activities so that victims of the earthquake can focus on recovery.

• Prospective associates, who are scheduled to join the company in April, can choose to delay their first day of work by up to two months if they or their families are affected by the earthquake.
• For those who have applied for next year's recruiting process starting in April of this year (associates who would join the company in April 2012) from the affected areas (six prefectures in Tohoku areas and Ibaraki prefecture), Honda will ensure that the testing/interviewing of those applicants will be conducted in June or later. More details will be posted on the recruiting section of the Honda website in April.