Jan. 13--OSAKA -- Kyocera Corp. will secure employment for all workers in the company, including part-time workers, despite the current economic hardship, President Makoto Kawamura said in a recent interview.

"It is assumed that (a company) should not resort to adjusting employment," Kawamura told Kyodo News. "We will protect all jobs, including those of regular workers and part-timers." Kawamura, 59, indicated the Kyoto-based manufacturer will make further efforts to slash business costs to secure employment of its workers. Kyocera may also introduce a work-sharing program to reduce working hours and wages per capita, he added.

Kyocera plans to realign its cellphone business by integrating its own sales channel and technological development division in North America as well as the cellphone business it acquired from Sanyo Electric Co., probably in April.

"Integrating the cellphone development units into one, we want to produce attractive products for North America and the domestic market by bringing about synergy effects," he said.

On the other hand, Kawamura took a negative stance about launching the cellphone business in overseas markets other than North America.

As for Panasonic Corp.'s merger plan to turn Sanyo into a subsidiary, the Kyocera head said Panasonic's funding ability and marketing network will pose a threat to Kyocera as both Kyocera and Sanyo are Japan's leading solar-cell producers.

Kyocera aims to expand its solar-cell business by boosting production and trimming costs, he said.

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