News

The Walmart Global Union Alliance held a meeting on September 21 and 22, attended by representatives of UNI commerce sector affiliates from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the United States, and South Africa.

Given the strong rumors about Walmart’s arrival in the Colombian market, the meeting took place in Bogota, Colombia. The Colombian unions had the opportunity to learn strategies to successfully deal with the company from Walmart unions.

UNI Americas Regional Secretary Adriana Rosenzvaig especially emphasized the importance of organizing for workers to achieve decent working conditions.

“Some say that we cannot win at Walmart, but we say that is not true. Our South African colleagues did it. Our Argentine brothers and sisters succeeded in gaining respect for their union, not without a struggle. A historic agreement has just been signed in Chile. With organizing actions, determination and activism, we can win,” she said.

UNI Commerce Global Director Alke Boessiger highlighted unity among workers as a fundamental factor to build strong unions. “No individual worker or union by itself can take action towards companies such as Amazon or Walmart,” she stated. “Global corporate policies require a global trade union response. In UNI Americas, workers and unions have stuck together; that is why they are winning in companies such as Casino, Cencosud, Zara, Ripley, and the like,” she concluded.

The discussion also centered around technological advances and the evolution of e-commerce at Walmart. These new developments can fundamentally change the role of commerce workers, calling for new trade union strategies to face them.

During the meeting, workers brought up the problems they face in almost every country with working hours, the lack of permanent and sustainable employment contracts, low wages, and health and safety issues.

Likewise, they talked about organizing campaigns within Walmart as well as the achievements made in Chile, Argentina and Brazil with new collective agreements and improved working conditions.

The participants also underlined the important role of the Alliance to carry out concrete action plans as well as the need to remain committed to continuing building international unity among Walmart workers so that they can have a voice in the company and secure rights for all men and women workers.