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On June 8, Walmart Chile, the country's largest retailer, dismissed 14 workers for reporting a mass poisoning affecting both workers and customers . The cause of poisoning was brought about by jobs entailing the handling of unsafe solvents during business hours. In fact, these hazardous practices resulted in the closure of the Lider supermarket for several days by the Seremi Metroplolitan Health Department of Chile.



The complaint was filed by Juan Moreno, President of the Interempresa Lider Union, a union comprising 14,000 Walmart workers. "This is a major assault against workers who spoke out for their right to safety and health conditions at the workplace" said Moreno, "neither their lives, nor those of the customers should be put at risk because of Walmart’s negligence."



Moreno also announced that from Monday onwards the union would start taking "a series of escalating actions, calling for collaboration between different unions, as well as cooperation from social, national and international organizations until Walmart reinstate each and every one of the fired workers ".



Finally, Moreno called for a national strike on July 11, in the hope that the calls for justice would encourage Walmart to end their unfair labour practices.These layoffs only serve to exacerbate the already poor image of a company renowned on a global scale for its anti-union stance and scandalous treatement of its own employees.