Firetxmi
08-05-2006, 01:45 PM
Employees unionize Chinese Wal-Mart
Sat Aug 5, 9:29 AM ET
Employees of retail giant Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT - news) have set up their second trade union in China, pushing toward the Chinese labor federation's goal of unionizing every Wal-Mart store in the country.
The second union was established by 42 employees of a Wal-Mart outlet in the southern boomtown of Shenzhen, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday.
The first was set up late last month in the southeastern province of Fujian. A senior official of the state-controlled All-China Federation of Trade Unions has said the body will work toward establishing a union in every Wal-Mart outlet.
The U.S. retail chain, which employs more than 30,000 people at stores across China, has long resisted pressure to unionize its workers in the United States and elsewhere.
But retail analysts say the Chinese government appears recently to be placing more emphasis on unionizing the sector, both to develop the services industry and to assert control over an increasing number of workers leaving the state sector.
A spokeswoman for Wal-Mart in China earlier said she had no knowledge of the first union. On Saturday, Xinhua quoted a Wal-Mart statement as saying, "Should associates request the formation of a union, Wal-Mart China would respect their wishes and honor its obligation under China's trade union law."
Link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060805/bs_nm/retail_china_union_dc&printer=1;_ylt=AkeyFplZrCqSIVHduku.7xKb.HQA;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-
I worked for a fire dept. in which most firefighters are part of a union (IAFF- a division of AFL-CIO). One day the station went into Wal-Mart to buy food for the shift and were talking to the checkout lady who was complaining about how poorly the employees were treated there. One of the guys mentioned that a union might help solve the problem. Before they could finish checking out a store manager was at their counter asking them to leave ASAP! That shift has not shopped at Wal-Mart in 3 years now, despite the fact that it is the closest store.
How I see this, is that Wal-Mart is willing to let their employees in China unionize because they don't want to bite the very hand that feeds them oh so well. Yet, in the U.S. they are able to have more restraint over their employees. Really kind of sad. I am not saying that unions are necessarily the best option, but it is still kind of angering.
Sat Aug 5, 9:29 AM ET
Employees of retail giant Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT - news) have set up their second trade union in China, pushing toward the Chinese labor federation's goal of unionizing every Wal-Mart store in the country.
The second union was established by 42 employees of a Wal-Mart outlet in the southern boomtown of Shenzhen, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday.
The first was set up late last month in the southeastern province of Fujian. A senior official of the state-controlled All-China Federation of Trade Unions has said the body will work toward establishing a union in every Wal-Mart outlet.
The U.S. retail chain, which employs more than 30,000 people at stores across China, has long resisted pressure to unionize its workers in the United States and elsewhere.
But retail analysts say the Chinese government appears recently to be placing more emphasis on unionizing the sector, both to develop the services industry and to assert control over an increasing number of workers leaving the state sector.
A spokeswoman for Wal-Mart in China earlier said she had no knowledge of the first union. On Saturday, Xinhua quoted a Wal-Mart statement as saying, "Should associates request the formation of a union, Wal-Mart China would respect their wishes and honor its obligation under China's trade union law."
Link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060805/bs_nm/retail_china_union_dc&printer=1;_ylt=AkeyFplZrCqSIVHduku.7xKb.HQA;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-
I worked for a fire dept. in which most firefighters are part of a union (IAFF- a division of AFL-CIO). One day the station went into Wal-Mart to buy food for the shift and were talking to the checkout lady who was complaining about how poorly the employees were treated there. One of the guys mentioned that a union might help solve the problem. Before they could finish checking out a store manager was at their counter asking them to leave ASAP! That shift has not shopped at Wal-Mart in 3 years now, despite the fact that it is the closest store.
How I see this, is that Wal-Mart is willing to let their employees in China unionize because they don't want to bite the very hand that feeds them oh so well. Yet, in the U.S. they are able to have more restraint over their employees. Really kind of sad. I am not saying that unions are necessarily the best option, but it is still kind of angering.