News

UNI Commerce Solidarity Message

Rights and Justice for Walmart Workers – Call for Global Agreement with Walmart

The world’s largest retailer Walmart is well known for its strong anti-union attitude and for its ruthless approach in keeping down wages in Canada and the USA - “Walmartisation” of employment and working conditions has become a synonym for unions around the world for bad business practice and a race to the bottom.

With business success for Walmart being on the decline in its homeland, the USA, Walmart has turned to international expansion to grow its business and increase its profits. UNI Commerce Global Union has as part of its Breaking Through strategy the goal to ensure that worker rights are respected everywhere Walmart does business.

The Congress recognises the efforts of unions who have broken through in Walmart to organise workers in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and the UK and have won organising and recognition rights. In October 2010, Walmart workers in Gatineau (Ottawa, Canada) won their first collective agreement.

South America and China are the main growth areas for the company, with Africa coming in the spotlight recently with a massive bid by Walmart to purchase the region’s Nr. 3 retailer Massmart. UNI’s South African affiliate SACCAWU is concerned that Walmart’s proposed buy out of Massmart could lead to lower wages and loss of union rights throughout the retail industry in the region.

Together with UNI and the UFCW, UNI affiliate SACCAWU is mobilising workers and allies to ensure that the entry of Walmart into Africa will not take place to the detriment of retail workers.

UNI Commerce Global Union affiliates in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Canada and the United States of America have come together in an Alliance and have formally proposed to the company that discussions commence to agree a regional framework for dialogue which can assist workers and management to ensure that the company’s expansion plans are implemented in partnership with workers and their unions.





Resolution



The time has come for Walmart to conclude a Global Agreement with UNI Global Union that would set fair standards for worker and union rights for the company’s global work force.



This global agreement must ensure the rights of all its workers, wherever they are in the world, to organise and negotiate collective agreements and gives to all workers where Walmart operates a union voice on the job.