Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited had started laying off 350 workers at its Altona plant from April 16, 2012 in response to tepid export sales due to the rising strength of the Australian dollar. The company's decision to let go of its 350 workers had already created much displeasure, with the opposition questioning the government's stance of continuing subsidies to automakers that failed to safeguard manufacturing jobs. And now with the workers claiming that their redundancy criteria were unlawful and planning to question it, the company has come under much negative publicity in recent times. Dismissed Toyota workers will meet on April 17, 2012 to discuss how to challenge the job cuts. According to the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), about 80% of the dismissed workers are planning to appeal against the job cuts at Fair Work Australia. The workers were dismissed after being rated on criteria which included points for Toyota values, attendance and safety, workplace behaviour, skills and knowledge. All of Toyota's 3,350 manufacturing staff were ranked according to their performance, in order to lose one-tenth of the workforce. However, workers have claimed that some were wrongfully singled out, saying that these criteria were a sham. Some claimed that those who had spoken against the management were targeted. However Toyota rejected all these claims saying that all were rated in exactly the same way on the criteria agreed upon by AMWU. Toyota had called in extra security guards to escort workers offsite, where they were informed about the criteria for their dismissal.

Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited reported sales results for the month of January 2012. The company's sales were is a little better than Jan. 2011. The total of 76,783 sales represents a 4.3% lift, but passenger car sales were down slightly. The company has just cut 350 jobs from its factory at Altona, Victoria, and the company expects to shed as many as 200 contract workers in a re-organisation at its Adelaide plant.

Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited will cut 350 jobs due to pressures caused by the high Australian. Mr. Marmara said the job losses would affect manufacturing and production workers as well as management.