Lidl workers fight for their rights

UNI Commerce Priorities and Work Programme

UNI-Europa Commerce and EuroCommerce on Corporate Social Responsibility

Global agreements: Carrefour - Hennes & Mauritz (jpg) - Metro Principles (pdf)

Large institutional shareholders are losing confidence in Wal-Mart's management. In a letter to the chair of the company's audit committee, they call for an independent review on legal and regulatory compliance. The investors, which include major pensions funds, point at abuse of  illegal immigrants and child labor, as well as the enormous class action lawsuit for discrimination of women workers. They are also concerned over the revelations of secret funds for union busting, "possibly including the payment of bribes". (3 June 2005)

UNI writes to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh:
Wal-Mart should not be let into India before it respects workers' rights

Letting Wal-Mart enter Indian retail trade could harm the government's efforts to promote economic integration, says UNI in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. An arrival of Wal-Mart could in fact confirm the fears that opening up the retail market could have negative repercussions on workers and local competitors, particularly small and medium sized enterprises. The intervention comes as a response to recent talks with Prime Minister Singh and Wal-Mart Director John Menzer, where the company tried to put pressure in favour of opening up the market. (27 May 2005)

Wal-Mart can continue to dump health care costs on taxpayers as Maryland Governor vetoes new law

Wal-Mart can go on dumping its healthcare costs on Maryland taxpayers. State Governor Robert Ehrlich has vetoed the Fair Share Health Care Fund Act, which would have compelled the Bentonville-based retail giant to spend at least 8 per cent of its payroll on health care benefits. Recently, Wal-Mart hosted a fund-raising dinner for the Republican Governor. (20 May 2005)

Wal-Mart is asked to disclose pay data to U.S. Congress as pressure grows on gender discrimination

Pressure is mounting up on Wal-Mart at its American home market. Yesterday, a letter was released where 51 Members of Congress called on the company to address their worrisome record on gender discrimination and asked for pay data to be released.  (13 May 2005)

Like a thief in the night:
Wal-Mart sneaks out of Jonquière, leaving hundreds of workers unemployed

Like a thief in the night, Wal-Mart has sneaked out of Jonquière in Canada, a week before the announced closing of its store, today, on 6 May. The closure comes as a response to the workers having joined their union, UFCW.

- Every bully is a coward, said Michael Fraser, the national director of UFCW Canada, commenting last week on the Bentonville-based retail giant's decision. (6 May 2005)

Full story

Irresponsible behaviour puts customers' health at risk:
Lidl gets caught in Sweden for selling meat, which is not meat, to avoid salmonella controls

Lidl has been caught in a new scandal in Sweden. The German hard discounter has been selling 'meat', which in laboratory controls has been shown to contain also other ingredients. Thus it has circumvented salmonella controls and put its customers' health at risk. The Swedish food industry does not spare its words in criticising Lidl's irresponsible behaviour. (15 April 2005)

Full story

The recent revelations of Wal-Mart's use of secret slush funds to stop its workers from joining UFCW have sparked a request for a public inquiry into the company's activities in Canada. There are strong suspicions that the company's covert campaign to bust a union at its Windsor store in Ontario might have subverted the integrity of Ontario labour laws and even involved the office of then Premier, Mike Harris. (15 April 2005)

UFCW goes to NLRB to force Wal-Mart to reveal its secret union busting operations 

UFCW has filed an unfair labour practices charge with the National Labor Relations Board, to force Wal-Mart to reveal how these funds were used. Already the company's staunch resistance to go public with this information is an indication that Mr Coughlin actually is telling the truth, and that the retail multinational has indeed engaged itself in secret operations against its own workers. (13 April 2005)

Full story

Ridicule and anger instead of results and profits:
Wal-Mart's long road of self-imposed suffering in Germany

Wal-Mart has been forced by a German court to reveal record losses from 2001, much larger that were previously reported by media. And the downhill continues, with a long range of disasters lining the company's road. Some have caused anger and resentment, others have drawn ridicule over the US retail giant, which seems to find it difficult to respect and adapt to its host country. (12 April 2005)

Full story

Press outing in Bentonville today:
Wal-Mart's expensive PR campaign cannot hide the naked truth

Wal-Mart's management meets with media today, at company headquarters in Bentonville Arkansas, in an effort to clean up the company's badly soiled image. But once again, the retail giant acts as HC Andersen's emperor without clothes -  and the public will continue to see the company stark naked in all its brutality, with an appalling record also from the last few months. (5 April 2005)

Wal-Mart workers in Brossard intimidated by management to vote no to union

Wal-Mart workers in Brossard, Quebec, have rejected union representation in a vote last Sunday. The Brossard vote comes after an escalating intimidation campaign by the Bentonville-based retail multinational, to scare its Canadian workers away from trade unions. Local UFCW representatives tell that Wal-Mart managers staged an anti-union demonstration last week at a Brossard restaurant, where a union meeting was being held. (5 April 2005)

Full story

De Jonquière scandal causes uproar in Canada:
Wal-Mart workers facing unemployment for joining their union get strong support from university professors

Wal-Mart's credibility suffers a further severe blow as over 200 renowned university professors in the United States and Canada come out with strong criticism against the retail giant's ruthless employer performance. In a declaration published in Montreal today, the professors denounce Wal-Mart's contemptuous attitude towards its workers who want to improve their employment conditions. (30 March 2005)

Gross human rights abuses by Wal-Mart lead Canadian unions to ask for help from International Labour Organisation ILO

- The basic human right to freedom of association has been abused and eroded by Canadian governments at all levels over the past two decades, says an extensive new study by two of Canada's largest unions. The unions - among them UNI Commerce affiliate UFCW - suggest that Juan Somavia, Director-General of the Geneva-based International Labour Organisation ILO meet with the country's Prime Minister to help ensure  respect for basic workers' rights. (29 March 2005)

Full story

Hard discounter of headband fame attacked by suppliers:
Lidl warehouses blocked by angry farmers - price wars threaten our future, they say

Lidl distribution centres in northern and eastern Germany were blocked in the early morning hours yesterday by angry farmers. Supported by their union, they said that the low milk prices paid by Lidl and Aldi have destroyed the perspectives for their future.

Like Wal-Mart, Lidl tries to defend itself through a costly PR campaign, but nothing seems to wash last year's disastrous headband scandal away. (24 March 2005)

Wal-Mart was fined 11 million dollars for illegally exploiting immigrant workers

Wal-Mart has had to agree on a record 11 million USD fine to settle a court case for having exploited immigrant workers. The unregistered immigrants worked as cleaners and janitors for Wal-Mart, employed by the company itself and by subcontractors, for wages far below minimum levels. Through this settlement, the Bentonville-based multinational escapes criminal charges. (23 March 2005)

Teachers say Children's Fund money cannot be spent at Wal-Mart because of its unfair labour practices

The Washington Education Association will no longer allow money from its Children’s Fund to be spent at Wal-Mart because of its unfair labor practices. The fund reimburses state teachers for purchases such as coats, shoes and other emergency items needed for disadvantaged students. (23 March 2005)

Full story

Wal-Mart's informant hotline reminds many Europeans of the years of communist repression and East German Stasi  

Wal-Mart's decision to establish an obligatory informants' hotline in Germany reminds many Europeans of times that they would rather forget. Using informers was an important part of the repression machinery of the communist regimes in Europe, including East Germany's infamous secret service Stasi. The American retail giant's approach is therefore - once again - an appalling example of the lack of sensitivity and respect for the people and cultures of its host countries. Now Wal-Mart's own works council tries to get a court order to stop the company from implementing its new 'ethics code'. (17 March 2005)

Full story

Wal-Mart's sex ban and informer hotline cause media storm in Germany

Wal-Mart's new informer hotline and ban on sexual relationships between staff has caused an unprecedented media storm in Germany. 

Today's Bild, Germany's largest and most popular newspaper, flashes a full page on the "Sex Ban for Wal-Mart Employees" and says that the "Retail giant wants to regulate the private lives of its employees". (16 March 2005)

Wal-Mart's Made in Bentonville concept misfires in Europe, top UK manager leaves, German stores close, and company ends up in court

Wal-Mart's concept has travelled badly to Europe. The company's top UK and European boss Tony DeNunzio leaves for a Dutch competitor, having lost out in the competition with Tesco. In Germany, stores are closed and workers will take Wal-Mart to court for trying to force them to inform on each other. (15 March 2005)

Wal-Mart forced union sympathiser to 'coaching session', violated labour law

An appeals court in St Louis has found Wal-Mart guilty of violating labour legislation when disciplining a worker for wearing a union  t-shirt. Brian Shieldnight had also told fellow workers about a trade union meeting, which the Bentonville multinational did not accept. (15 March 2005)

Full story

Quebec Wal-Mart auto repair shop says Union Yes - for Colorado worker it's from Soviet to Wal-Mart repression 

Wal-Mart's auto repair workers in St-Hyacinthe, Quebec have voted to be represented by UFCW. The Quebec Labour Relations Board has now granted union certification for the repair shop. But in Loveland, Colorado, Wal-Mart's repression has been stepped up. Ryszard Tomtas, a former Solidarnosc activist from Poland, chained himself to a traffic sign outside the Wal-Mart store and announced that he would go on hunger strike. 

Solidarnosc, his former trade union in Poland, suffered from repression and union busting by the communist regime, acting under Soviet orders. Now, Ryszard Tomtas encounters a similar approach by the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart. (14 March 2005)

Full story

Wal-Mart workers in Canada don't give up - next store will vote on 1 April

Wal-Mart workers in Canada do not give up. A new unionisation vote will take place on 1 April in the Montreal suburb of Brossard, and the UFCW Local may ask for a new vote to be taken at the Windsor store in Ontario. The labour movement in Quebec is closing ranks to support the workers in Jonquière, whom Wal-Mart will put out on the street in May. (11 March 2005)

'Secret agent' reappears in Ontario store:
Wal-Mart's union busting continues in Canada, Windsor workers don't dare to unionise

Wal-Mart's systematic union busting continues in Canada. The latest result was a vote yesterday against union representation in a Windsor, Ontario store. UFCW Canada has filed charges against the Bentonville multinational. (9 March 2005)

Working mothers cannot afford full maternity leave:
Usdaw welcomes plans for longer leave but also wants better pay

A new survey by UNI Commerce affiliate Usdaw reveals that new mothers are being driven back to the shop floor too soon after giving birth. They just cannot afford to take their full statutory maternity leave. As part of its Parents and Carers campaign, the British shop workers' union supports Labour's plans for a longer maternity leave, but wants also pay to be increased. (8 March 2005)

Wal-Mart lost Daiei restructuring to Marubeni

Wal-Mart did not get the contract to restructure Japan's ailing and deeply indebted retail giant Daiei. The Bentonville-based multinational had made no secret about its ambitions to take over the firm, which employs 40,000 workers. It will instead be Marubeni, the large Japanese trading house, which together with investment firm Advantage Partners will try to put Daiei in shape again. (8 March 2005)

Wal-Mart's child labor violations get U.S. politicians on the move

The recent disclosure of a sweetheart deal between Wal-Mart and the U.S. Labor Department continues to engage leading politicians. The two Connecticut Senators Joe Lieberman (D-Conn) and Christopher Dodd (D-Conn) have asked Labor Secretary Elaine Chao to explain and justify the deal with Wal-Mart. They point out that the 15 day warning period granted by the Labor Department before conducting child labor inspections in Wal-Mart stores would give the employer a chance to see that child workers just not perform any dangerous tasks that very day. (4 March 2005)

Full story

One more U.S. State has joined in criticising Wal-Mart for letting its workers rely on health care paid by public funds. A legislative report compiled by the Connecticut Office of Legislative Research shows that more than 1,000 Wal-Mart workers depend on tax-payer financed healthcare for themselves or for their children.  (4 March 2005)

Full story

Wal-Mart to pay a special health tax in Maryland as a price for its social dumping?

Wal-Mart could be forced to pay a special health tax in the U.S. State of Maryland. The State Senate arranged a hearing in Annapolis yesterday, where the planned tax was commented on. The intention is to force all employers with more than 10,000 workers in Maryland, who spend less than 8 per cent of their payroll on health insurance, to contribute to Medicaid support for low-income adults. It was confirmed that in reality, this tax would only affect Wal-Mart. (3 March 2005)

Undeterred by harassment and intimidation:
Wal-Mart workers in Canada want a voice through UFCW

Wal-Mart workers in Windsor, Canada have not been scared by the company's much publicised harassment and intimidation campaign. They have now applied to the Ontario Labour Relations Board for a vote to certify UNI Commerce affiliate UFCW as their bargaining agent. It is possible that a vote could be taken already next week. (2 March 2005)

Full story

Wal-Mart's harassment keeps workers out of UFCW

Wal-Mart has once again shown how far it is prepared to go to stop its workers from joining a trade union. In Loveland, Colorado, the 18 workers of Wal-Mart's Tire & Lube Express did not dare to vote for union representation after management had put extreme pressure on this little workplace. 

At the same time as CEO Lee Scott was smiling himself up in front of fellow managers in Los Angeles, union busting experts from the Bentonville headquarters were at it in Loveland. Transfers of workers to stack the cards for the election, anti-union videos, and personal 'discussions' were on the Colorado agenda, rather than a plush lunch as in Los Angeles. (28 February 2005)

Alabama officials criticise world's largest retailer:
Wal-Mart denies workers and their children health insurance, makes tax payers foot the bill

Wal-Mart tops the list of bad employers in the U.S. State of Alabama, who deny many of their workers and their children a health insurance, and make them dependent on basic taxpayer-financed Medicaid instead. This is one of the ways in which the Bentonville based retail giant has made its main owners, the Walton's, into the richest people in the United States. (23 February 2005)

Full story

Cooperation within UNI networks to handle international dimension:
GPA Austria launches innovative cooperation with Rewe-Billa to solve labour relations problems

Austrian UNI affiliate GPA will use dialogue and cooperation to solve serious labour relations problems in retail multinational Billa-Rewe. A special task force has been established to address the problems, train managers and correct the situation. 

New GPA president Wolfgang Katzian (right) underlines the need for active international cooperation to defend workers' rights in multinationals. He wants to make use of the UNI networks to tackle the international dimension, drawing on encouraging experiences from the cooperation established in the UNI Commerce Rewe-Billa network. (22 February 2005)

Full story

Finnish TV-show goes hard on Lidl:
German hard discounter exposed as bad employer and threat to consumers and suppliers

German hard discounter Lidl came out very badly in a prime time television news show aired on the Finnish public service channel on Sunday night. Former employees spoke about draconian controls and demeaning treatment by managers. But not everyone dared to speak out. Two former supervisors confirmed that they could have much to say, but were too afraid to do it. (22 February 2005)

Full story

Wal-Mart continues to be under intense pressure to improve its health care performance. The U.S. state of Maryland is leading the way in getting to grips with a new piece of legislation  recently approved by legislators. New Jersey legislators are following suit.

(13 April 2005)

Wal-Mart must give its union busting handbook to UFCW Local in Canada

Wal-Mart must hand over its union busting handbook to workers in Saskatchewan in Canada who want to unionise their store. The Supreme Court of Canada has turned down an appeal by the company and an earlier appeals court decision thus remains valid. 

(12 April 2005)

UFCW demands company to disclose the facts:
Wal-Mart is suspected of using secret funds to pay workers for informing on pro-union colleagues

Wal-Mart's former vice president Tom Coughlin may have used undeclared funds to pay workers who informed management about pro-union colleagues. A criminal investigation is on its way. 

(11 April 2005)

Full story

Lidl reacts to criticism for wage dumping, employs Swedish transport firm

German hard discounter Lidl has ceded to the strong criticism it received for wage dumping in employing contractors with Latvian drivers for sub-standard wages to do its local transports in Sweden and taken on a local transport firm.

(30 March 2005)

Wal-Mart election observer threatened to beat me up on election day, Colorado unionist says

The worker who initiated a union representation vote in Loveland, Colorado says that a Wal-Mart election observer threatened to beat him up in the car park. Last week's NLRB hearing on Wal-Mart's unfair labour practices was postponed as a UFCW witness suffered a seizure. (29 March 2005)

Full story

Wal-Mart's downhill in Germany seems to continue. On 30 June, the Bentonville-based retailer will close its store in Neunkirchen, amidst protests from its personnel and their works council. The company has sold the store to a buyer whose name they refuse to give to the works council. (29 March 2005)

Full story

Lidl destroyed records in Ireland to avoid being caught for age discrimination 

Lidl has been caught for destroying employment records to escape charges of age discrimination, and ordered to pay a  compensation.

(23 March 2003)

Full story

Lidl signs collective agreement in Norway - but in Germany repression continues

Lidl's Norwegian workers are now protected by a collective agreement. The union's vice president says that some domestic firms could learn from the German discounter. At the same time, Lidl continues its harsh repression of the workers at home in Germany.

(23 March 2005)

Wal-Mart puts workers in St Hyacinthe under pressure to denounce their union 

Wal-Mart pushes its workers in the unionised store in St Hyacinthe to sign papers where they denounce their union. Go ahead, says UFCW, just sign them if this stops the harassment - knowing that they have no legal value. Workers are now waiting for their first ever collective agreement negotiations.

(23 March 2005)

Wal-Mart workers in Gatineau, Canada ask for vote on union

UNI Commerce affiliate UFCW has once again filed an application to the Quebec Labour Relations Commission, for a union representation vote at a Wal-Mart store. This time, the workers of a store in Gatineau want the union to represent them and to conclude a collective agreement on their behalf.

(22 March 2005)

Embarrassing:
Wal-Mart makes also its home state tax payers foot health care bills

Once again, Wal-Mart is caught for making taxpayers finance health care for its worker families, costs which are normally covered by employer-financed insurance. This time, getting caught is even more embarrassing to the retail giant than before as this is in its home state, Arkansas.

(17 March 2005)

Wal-Mart's intimidation and alleged vote rigging lead to hearing in Colorado

Wal-Mart's aggressive campaign to keep its Tire and Lube Express workers in Loveland, Colorado has lead the National Labor Relations Board to order a formal hearing. This legal procedure comes as a result of a complaint by UNI Commerce affiliate UFCW. 

(17 March 2005)

Full story

German trade unionists visited over 1,000 Lidl and Schlecker stores, informed about workers' rights

Lidl and Schlecker, two German hard discounters and sub-standard employers, were targeted by UNI Commerce affiliate ver.di on the International Women's Day, the 8th of May. Union members went up to store cashiers, gave them a little gift and a ver.di brochure. Altogether, over 1,000 stores were visited that day. 

(11 March 2005)

Full story

Lidl once again criticised for bad employer behaviour in Sweden

Lidl is once again criticised in Sweden for its bad employer performance. The German hard discounter routinely terminates employment contracts at its distribution centre just before the six month test periods run out, and then takes in new people.

(10 March 2005)

Wal-Mart failed in its attempts to create sweatshop on wheels

A Wal-Mart lead business group has failed in its attempts to extend truck drivers' maximum working day to 16 hours. The new legislation would have extended the daily working hours and enabled Wal-Mart to have truck drivers waiting at depots for hours, without pay.

(10 March 2005)

Full story

Uni Commerce and Uni-Europa Commerce

Head Office, Nyon, Switzerland

jan.furstenborg@union-network.org

frieda.gazzini@union-network.org

Bonn, Germany

alexruedig@aol.com

***

Sarajevo Project Office
fietsa@bih.net.ba

Go to: About Us - News Desk - Affiliates Only - Welcome