News

Ahead of Walmart’s annual shareholder meeting today, a group of Walmart employee-shareholders in the United States has been intimidated by the police for trying to speak out at a Walmart shareholder event. While distributing fliers about the need to improve working conditions, a group of police complete with a K-9 unit began drilling them with intimidating questions, asking for worker identification and even threatening to detain workers. Rather than just asking the Walmart employees to leave, they inquired about their work status with Walmart, demanded identification and even social security numbers.

UNI Global Union General Secretary, Philip Jennings said, “We cannot allow Walmart workers to be intimidated for standing up for their rights. Freedom of speech is a constitutional right in the United States and its being abused by what happened to these US Walmart workers this week. This is symptomatic of Walmart’s anti-union, anti-worker stance in the United States and Canada.”

Jennings continued, “Senior Walmart management are calling for “integrity” amongst there over 2 million workers while Walmart executives don’t practice what they preach. Where is the integrity in the bully-boy tactics used by Walmart to scare workers off organising to improve working conditions?”

“At tomorrow’s AGM workers and shareholders have the right and the duty to ask Chief Executive Mike Duke where he stands on “integrity” considering he was allegedly fully briefed on the fraud allegations amounting to $24 million in bribes in Mexico and failed to act appropriately. He should take a long hard look in the mirror before talking about “integrity”. As should CEO Rob Walton; the buck stops with them. UNI stands with the Making Change at Walmart Alliance and our US affiliates, including the UFCW, in calling for Duke and Walton to resign and allow some fresh air into the Walmart boardroom,” concluded Jennings.

UNI Commerce is fighting to improve working conditions for Walmart workers around the world and urging Walmart to sign up to a global framework agreement which would set a standard for labour relations. Walmart’s entry into South Africa is controversial and after exhaustive legal proceedings is still the subject of a high level study ordered by the South African courts to protect workers in the supply chain. In India, Walmart’s full entry into the retail market has been stalled by protests against foreign direct investment. Walmart is seeking to dominate the global retail market with a discredited model. South Africa beware, India beware. Now is a time for concerted action by all stakeholders to change the Walmart culture and introduce the true value of integrity.

UNI affiliates stand in solidarity with Walmart workers as they fight for change by speaking out on Walmart's Facebook page and Twitter feeds:

1. Today, change your Facebook status to the message below and then make sure to take the action described below too!



"Walmart's shareholder meeting is Friday! Send them a message at http://on.fb.me/Lil51T saying: 'End your double standard: Reward workers for their hard work and tell Walton and Duke to resign!' POST this as your status if you think Walmart should end its double standard."



2. On Twitter, Walmart is using the hashtag #WMTshares for the shareholder meeting. Tweet the message below:

"End the double standard #Walmart: Reward hard work & tell Walton and Duke to resign! #WMTshares http://bit.ly/KSiNDH"

If we all work together to speak out, we can make sure workers are heard at Walmart's annual shareholder meeting.