Walmart slammed again |
| Tuesday, 01 May 2007 | |
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CO: Jump on the old "Walmart slammin' bandwagon". Now criticisms have even more legitimacy, see this Human Rights Watch Report:
Wal-Mart Denies Workers Basic RightsWeak Labor Laws Perpetuate Abuses(Washington, DC, May 1, 2007) – Wal-Mart’s relentless exploitation of weak US labor laws thwarts union formation and violates the rights of its US workers, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today.
In the 210-page report, “Discounting Rights: Wal-Mart’s Violation of US Workers’ Right to Freedom of Association,”
Human Rights Watch found that while many American companies use weak US
laws to stop workers from organizing, the retail giant stands out for
the sheer magnitude and aggressiveness of its anti-union apparatus.
Many of its anti-union tactics are lawful in the United States, though
they combine to undermine workers’ rights. Others run afoul of soft US
laws.
This story has already been picked up by the International Heral Tribune: "Human Rights Watch says Wal-Mart has broken labor laws" by Steven Greenhouse NEW YORK: In its first study of how an American company treats its workers, Human Rights Watch asserted that Wal-Mart's aggressive efforts to keep out labor unions often violated federal law and infringed on its workers' rights. ... "While many American companies use weak U.S. laws to stop workers from organizing, the retail giant stands out for the sheer magnitude and aggressiveness of its anti-union apparatus," the human rights group wrote. Wal-Mart Stores has more than 1.3 million workers at its nearly 4,000 stores in the United States, none of whom belong to a union.
HRW has collected a series of videos: about Walmart's labour relations practices (strategies): Most of the Labor Relations Team’s tactics comport with weak US law. Team members hold small- and large-group “captive audience” meetings, which workers are strongly urged to attend. Workers hear of the terrible consequences of formation and see videos dramatizing the message. Wal-Mart envelops workers with its anti-union mantra and allows little space for union supporters and organizers to respond – under US law, it does not have to.
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