UNI Commerce and UFCW step up their global Wal-Mart campaign

UFCW

Chicago Summit called on world's largest retailer to change:
UNI Commerce Global Union, UFCW and commerce unions world-wide step up their Wal-Mart campaign

Carolyn Sapp discusses the Wal-Mart challenge with ver.di's retail sector head Ulrich Dalibor. Elke Richards, chief shop steward for Wal-Mart's well organised German workers listens attentively. Elke told the summit participants about her first-hand experiences with the world's largest company.
Carolyn Sapp, former Miss America, listens to ver.di's Ulrich Dalibor telling her about the difficult labour relations at Wal-Mart in Germany. Elke Richards, in the middle is ver.di's head shop steward at Wal-Mart. Carolyn Sapp, who works together with UFCW, addressed the UNI World Congress about Wal-Mart's discrimination and bad treatment of its women employees, and about the workers' fight for justice.

UNI Commerce and UFCW will step up their joint global Wal-Mart campaign. Last week's UNI Commerce Global Union Summit in Chicago adopted a blueprint for global action to bring about change and to organise Wal-Mart's workers. At the UNI World Congress, which was held just before the Summit, Wal-Mart was a main focus.

Women workers exploited by Wal-Mart

Congress delegates got a glimpse into the harsh reality at Wal-Mart's North American workplaces, through a Canadian video reportage, which will now be translated and distributed world-wide by UNI Commerce. Carolyn Sapp, former Miss America who now works for women's and children's rights, and together with UFCW to defend workers' rights at Wal-Mart, made a highly appreciated and inspiring presentation about the company's brutal behaviour against its women workers. Her report on meetings with Wal-Mart's women workers all across America made a deep impression on delegates and added to the motivation to press for change.

Philip Jennings, UNI general secretary, and Joe Hansen, UNI and UFCW president, enjoyed the company of Carolyn Sapp at the Congress Party on Chicago's Navy Pier. To press for change in Wal-Mart is not only a priority for UNI Commerce Global Union, but also for the whole of Union Network International. Walmartization is contagious, as the recent UNI report says, and can hit workers in any country and any industry unless it is stopped.

During the UNI World Congress, Jan Furstenborg of UNI Commerce called Wal-Mart Headquarters in Bentonville to find out the company's reaction to UNI's suggestion to meet and talk about a way out of the present situation. In these discussions, as well as in a later press statement, Wal-Mart did indeed confirm that they are prepared to meet. This opening is now being followed up by UNI Commerce.

Stark contrast between Wal-Mart and largest competitors

The UNI Commerce Global Union Summit, which followed the Congress, illustrated the stark contrast between Wal-Mart and its socially responsible competitors. Senior management from Carrefour, world number two retailer, and Metro, world number three, addressed the meeting. They confirmed their determination to continue the global social dialogue with UNI Commerce, and to work together with its affiliated trade unions to ensure decent and correct employment and working conditions. Of course, problems are encountered also with these companies, but normally they can be resolved through joint interventions.

Korean trade unionists know how to make rallies loud and clear. But here it is UNI's deputy general secretary Philip Bowyer who leads the call for fighting against global poverty.
There is a direct link between the Global Campaign to end poverty, and Wal-Mart's labour practices. Last year's supermarket strike in California showed how disastrous impact Wal-Mart's social dumping can have on the living conditions of workers and their families, even if they work for other companies. Wal-Mart exerts a strong downward pressure on wages and conditions, and is the main force behind the explosive growth of the numbers of America's poor. UNI Congress delegates went out on the streets of Chicago to express their solidarity with the host country's working families, and the United Nations campaign to end poverty.

The efforts to make Wal-Mart change its destructive human resource approach join together UFCW-supported action in North America and the UNI Commerce Global Union network. Activities will comprise public awareness raising about Wal-Mart's treatment of its workers, systematic information to investors and investment consultants and contacts with international and national authorities and political decision-makers. This will include raising the dangers of walmartization at the forthcoming European Union social dialogue session for commerce, in Brussels later this month.

Wal-Mart workers in many countries are well organised

Organising will remain a main priority. In countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, Brazil and Argentina, there is already an important trade union presence in the company. Coordinated organising campaigns will be used to further strengthen union positions and thus to enable workers to improve their incomes and employment conditions.

See you in Seoul - the Republic of Korea is a focal point for the joint UFCW - UNI Commerce campaign to bring about change to Wal-Mart's anti-worker and anti-union practices.
Korean unionists will play an important role in the global campaign for change in Wal-Mart. KPSU president Kim Hyung-Keun and UNI Korea representative Jay Choi (second and third from left) have already started to prepare an awareness raising campaign and organising efforts. The country's strong and militant trade union movement is well positioned to join in the forefront of the global UNI Commerce and UFCW action.

The first country to be targeted with a new Wal-Mart campaign is the Republic of Korea. This was agreed last week between UNI Commerce, UFCW and the Korean Federation of Private Services Workers' Unions KPSU. The discussions in Chicago will be followed up by UNI Commerce and UFCW representatives on the spot in Seoul before the end of this month.

Reception committees emerge in Russia, Turkey and Hungary

In Russia, Turkey, Hungary and other countries, UNI Commerce, UFCW and local unions prepare for a possible entry of Wal-Mart on the retail scene. 'Reception committees' are being built up and steps are being taken to ensure that Wal-Mart workers join their trade unions and that the company applies labour legislation and collective agreements, in social dialogue with the unions.

Recently, UNI wrote to Mr Manmohan Singh, India's Prime Minister, cautioning the Indian government about Wal-Mart's bad labour relations record. The company is pressing hard for an opening of the Indian market for foreign retailers. UNI made the point that Wal-Mart's disrespect for workers' rights, in contrast to companies such as Metro, Tesco and Carrefour that also view India as a country for future expansion, can indeed cause a setback for opening up of the economy.