Wal-Mart today (10 August) told just-food that it will not prevent Chinese workers from unionising and denied suggestions that the world’s largest retailer adopts an anti-union stance.
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“We are not opposed to unionisation,” a spokesperson for the company told just-food.
The retailer has said that it will cooperate with the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), the official group that all Chinese unions must be affiliated with. “Our mutual aim is to establish grassroots unions within each Wal-Mart store throughout China,” Wal-Mart said in a statement.
Wal-Mart employees have formed unions at stores in Quanzhou, Shenzhen and Nanjing in the past two weeks, increasing pressure on Wal-Mart to recognise the union. Wal-Mart has also reportedly come under pressure from Beijing to treat unionised workers equally.
In response, Wal-Mart has said it will seek negotiations with the ACFTU on how to cooperate effectively.
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By GlobalDataWal-Mart opened its first store in China in 1996 and recently revealed expansion plans that would involve hiring an additional 150,000 employees in the country.
