News

In a full day of engagement on August 30, 2011, in Bogota, Columbia, a group of unions representing workers in the retail sectors of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Nicaragua, Panama, the USA and Canada reconfirmed their commitment to cooperate as they grapple with Walmart.





UNI Global Union - the Geneva-based global union federation - established in its Americas region the Walmart Workers Alliance almost a year ago in an effort to build a common platform to enable workers in North and Latin America to engage with the company on matters of common cause.









Over the past year, the Alliance took part in coordinated action to highlight awareness among workers of the common bond that they share as Walmart workers. It established a website to share information and connect workers.











The meeting in Bogota condemned Walmart's action in Chile where 25 workers were fired for taking part in the recent social demonstrations supporting the general strike in that country. Alke Boessiger, Head of UNI's Commerce Sector, stated: "we call on Walmart to immediately meet with our affiliates in Chile and to constructively engage with them to resolve this problem". Ms Boessiger continued: "the fact that Walmart was the only employer in the country to fire workers for taking part in this protest demonstrates how far outside the mainstream the company is and if this is not rectified consumers will, in my view, form an adverse opinion of the company".













The Chilean unions at the meeting in Bogota stated clearly that they will not allow the company's action against these workers to intimidate them or dissuade it from standing up for Walmart workers in the future.







The meeting sent solidarity greetings and support to the affected workers and committed to work together into the future on matters of mutual concern.