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Toyota raises Japanese base wages for first time since 2008

Toyota is on track for record profits, and in return, its Japanese workers are receiving their first increase in base wages since 2008, plus higher pay based on seniority and a larger bonus for 2014. The Japanese automaker predicts the average laborer will net a 2.9 percent income gain.
The average Toyota employee will earn 2,700 yen ($26.28) more each month, a 0.8 percent increase from last year. Workers will also receive about 7,300 yen ($71.09) more monthly based on seniority and promotions. Finally, the company's union pushed through a median bonus of 2.44 million yen ($23,768) for 2014, the highest in 6 years.
The pay boost comes as Toyota forecasts a record 1.9-trillion yen ($18.5 billion) profit for the fiscal year ending on March 31, according to Bloomberg. It has been helped by the Japanese government's efforts to weaken the yen on international markets and expand inflation. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been asking businesses to increase compensation to end years of deflation and offset upcoming higher sales taxes. Honda and Nissan have also raised their wages there in recent months.

Minnesota tinkerer selling off 500-plus motorcycles, dirt bikes and scooters

For 25 years, Tony Joslyn's entire life has orbited around motorcycles. After getting into bikes at an early age, Joslyn turned his passion into Road Rash, a salvage house where Joslyn would buy and sell two-wheelers and their parts. He wasn't picky with his workings, either, as he has accrued motorcycles across a huge range of decades and brands. And now it's all up for sale.  Suzukis, Yamahas, Harley-Davidsons, Hondas, Kawasakis, and more from the '60s, '70s, '60s, '90s, and '00s are all currently listed on K-Bid.com. There is a variety of size, styles, colors and setups, and a press release says most of the bikes are 'complete and ready for restoration or a tuneup." For Joslyn, the collection just became too much to deal with after all these years.  "It's time to clear the herd and slow down," Joslyn said in a release. "Once it starts to feel like a job, you lose some of the joy. I'm looking forward to getting back to working a few motorcycles now and then. ... It's hard to pick a favorite out of the collection, as I am partial to all of them, but I've always enjoyed the Kawasaki 3-cylinders." The bikes are located in Clarks Grove, Minnesota, directly south of Minneapolis roughly near the Iowa border. Interested parties can visit and inspect the bikes before purchasing, and there's plenty of time to do so. Open now, the auction will close October 2, 2019.  This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Auto News Honda Suzuki Auctions Motorcycle honda scooter Harley-Davidson Yamaha Kawasaki

Honda is first Japanese carmaker to be a net-exporter from US

Over the last decade or so, many foreign automakers have challenged the idea of what defines an "American car," but Honda took things a step further last year by exporting more cars out of the US than it imported in. Reuters is reporting that in 2013, a total of 108,705 Honda and Acura models were exported from the US with only 88,357 being shipped in. This gives Honda a net exporter status here, and makes it the first of such among the major Japanese automakers.
Honda's US imports have been dropping over the last five years while its exports have been steadily increasing. In 2008, the report indicates that Honda shipped 187,000 vehicles to the US and exported only 20,000, and even by 2012 Honda still favored imports with 136,000 imports and 74,000 exports. The article says that US-made Honda and Acura vehicles were exported to 50 countries with most ending up in Mexico, but the big news is that the Honda's US production set a record in 2013 with 1.3 million units built.