Login
Decent work in Walmart, now! Walmart, respect the rights of workers! Walmart, stop exploiting workers and recognize their value! Under these slogans, UNI Americas and its affiliates in the commerce sector of Brazil mobilise in Porto Alegre, together with all Brazilian trade union confederations, the Students National Union, political parties and social organisations. The large group of protestors marched 5 kilometres under a blazing sun and a temperature of 45 degrees, which did not reduce at all the enthusiasm of the demonstrators.
"We want to talk to the President of the company in Brazil. Every attempt we have made so far to find a reasonable means of communication has failed. We want dialogue, but if it doesn’t exist we will continue mobilising," said Jefferson Tiego, Coordinator of the Walmart UNI-Brazil Union Network.
Despite the insistence of the unions and the fact that Walmart was ordered to pay $ 22 million Brazilian reales for harassment and violation of health and safety regulations at work, the company continues to believe it has nothing to discuss with the unions. "Walmart does not respect unions, it considers them an obstacle and because of this it makes mistakes, losing its battles once, and again, as this week it received an adverse decision from the Ministry of Labour of the United States," said Eduardo San Roman, Director of UNI Americas Commerce.
Adriana Rosenzvaig, Regional Secretary of UNI, spoke to the protesters during the mobilisation. "Our message to Walmart is clear: You are a paradigm of capitalist greed. You are corrupt, you destroy the environment, ignore the unions and in places like the United States pay poverty wages and prevent union organising and collective bargaining. We fight for a democracy with justice, and sooner rather than later, Walmart will need to understand that it must change its attitude."