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 Wal-Mart workers in Germany strike for collective agreement

Well more than a thousand Wal-Mart workers in Germany went on strike last Friday and Saturday, to press for a collective agreement. The US retail multinational has refused to sign an agreement with UNI Commerce affiliate ver.di, or to join an employers' association, which would bring it into an industry agreement. Full story (29.07.2002)

Union busting by Sainsbury's - Shoppers unite at Shaw's

With signs reading "Shoppers Unite for Workers Rights and Safe Food" more than 100 people marched to the British Consulate in Boston, Mass. calling for corporate accountability from Shaw's Supermarket's parent company Sainsbury Corporation, headquartered in the United Kingdom. Full story (26.07.2002)

Union busting against multinationals guidelines:
AFL-CIO files OECD complaint against Pinault-Printemps-Redoute

The US trade union confederation AFL-CIO has launched a complaint against French multinational Pinault-Printemps-Redoute, for its union busting campaign in Indiana. The union confederation calls on action by the State Department "to facilitate prompt resolution of this dispute in a manner consistent with the Guidelines". The complaint, which was filed with the OECD contact point at the US Department of State in Washington DC, quotes a long series of violations of the human rights of the workers at PPR's Brylane distribution centres, which also violate the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. Full story (3 July 2002)

Powerful manifestation for trade union rights in Spain:
Commerce unions warn multinationals not to interfere in workplace elections

The two Spanish commerce trade unions, FECOHT-CCOO and FETCHTJ-UGT, are approaching this year's workplace elections together with each other. This is a major step in the struggle for trade union rights in Spain.  Large commerce multinationals have used yellow 'trade unions' ever since the Franco regime was brough to an end, twenty-five years ago. Strongly supported by UNI Commerce and its affiliates, the Spanish unions will now put an end to this anachronism.  Full story (1 July 2002)

Speech in Madrid on trade union rights (English) by Jan Furstenborg, Head of UNI Commerce - UNI-Europa Commerce (1 July 2002)

Leg shackles and handcuffs - social dialogue Sainsbury's style:
Leading British retailer has female religious leader arrested for defending children's rights

Sir Peter Davis Sir Peter Davies, Sainsbury's CEO, one of the many British Lords on the company's board, who are so detached from the real world that their company resorts to handcuffs and leg shackles to stop religious and trade union leaders from talking to their supermarket personnel. They must really be afraid that if unionised, the women workers will not accept ppor health care facilities for their children anymore.

Kim Bobo, the Executive Director of the National Interfaith Committee on Worker Justice was arrested at a Shaw's store in Massaxhusetts, together with Susan Phillips, a leader of the UFCW, Kathy Cassavant, a leader of the Massachusett's AFL-CIO, and Cherie Acqulina, a local UFCW representative. Shaw's is owned by British multinational retailer Sainsbury's. They were charged with trespassing, arrested, taken away in leg shackles and handcuffs and were arraigned in Worcester District Court.
Full story (22 June 2002)

Social responsibility Sainsbury's style:
British retailer has top US labour leaders arrested when they tried to talk to workers

The president of UNI Commerce affiliate UFCW, Doug Dority, and AFL-CIO President John Sweeney were arrested while trying to communicate with supermarket employees. They were visiting workers at a Shaw's store in the Worcester area who have been denied union representation by their company. UFCW President Doug Dority and AFL-CIO President John Sweeney were arrested when they tried to talk with workers at a Sainsbury's-owned Massachusetts supermarket
Shaw's is owned by British multinational Sainsbury's. Full story (5 June 2002)

John Sweeney and Doug Dority to challenge Sainsbury's:
Will Shaw's have also the top US union leaders arrested, to stop them from talking to workers?

Will British commerce multinational Sainsbury's have two leading American trade unionists arrested, to stop them from talking to supermarket workers? Doug Dority, president of UNI Commerce affiliate UFCW will be joined by AFL-CIO president John Sweeney when entering stores in Massachusetts. The supermarket operator Shaw's, which is a subsidiary of the British retail giant, has launched a veritable union busting campaign. Full story (03 June 2002)

British multinational forces US workers to pay back their Christmas and New Year's holiday pay

UNI-Europa Commerce and EuroCommerce launch European dialogue on corporate social responsibility

Corporate social responsibility is the newest priority subject for the European social dialogue for commerce. At a session in Brussels on 23 May, trade unionists and employers exchanged views on what the approach should be when dealing with this issue. Trade union rights in leading multinationals were raised by the workers' representatives, who pointed also at widespread violations. Spain was singled out as a particularly difficult EU country in this respect. Full story (25 May 2002)

UNI Commerce affiliates launch world-wide protests as Pinault continues ugly union busting campaign

Ver.di members in  Berlin protest outside a Gucci store.

French commerce multinational Pinault-Printemps-Redoute PPR wants to stop workers from organising at its Brylane distribution centres in Indiana. The largely immigrant workforce is employed under poor conditions, and the company apparently thinks that this can be continued if the trade union - textile workers' union UNITE - is kept out. UNI Commerce and affiliates worldwide are campaigning in support of their American colleagues. Full story (17 May 2002)

Pinault says Indiana workers should vote, but are busy rigging the vote against the union (8 April 2002)

PPR shows its ugly face- French multinational puts pressure on immigrant workers in the USA (28 March 2002)

Normal employer at home, French PPR turns into ugly exploiter in Southern United States (8 March 2002)

French PinaultPrintempsRedoute goes into union busting in US 
(4 November 2001)

Forced meetings, videos and websites did not help management as union members forced good agreement

Kroger employees in Arkansas in the United States prepared for the fight of their lives. The 2,600 workers determined to face down Kroger's threats of cuts to health benefits avoided a strike by reaching an agreement with the supermarket giant.

Full story 
(5 July 2002)

 

Wal-Mart's German problems:
 In trouble with the union, and business is not good

Wal-Mart continues to face serious difficulties in Germany. Business is not successful and the relationship with its own workers is strained. Apparently, Wal-Mart's concept has not travelled well to the largest European Union market.

Full story  
(3 July 2002)

 

The strange case of Spanish commerce:
Spain is a strange case when it comes to trade union rights in commerce. Both Carrefour and Metro are openly collaborating with a yellow 'trade union' FETICO. The aim is to keep out the real commerce trade unions, FECOHT-CC.OO and FETCHTJ-UGT. 

Full story (17 May 2002)

 

Wal-Mart faces federal charges in the United States for more than 45 separate incidents of illegal conduct
The U.S. National Labor Relations Board has charged Wal-Mart with violating federal law by coercing, intimidating and retaliating against its employees who were seeking a voice on the job with United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) Local 711. The Board complaint charges that Wal-Mart's illegal actions interfered with employees' right to hold a free and fair election at the Sam's Club store on Spring Mountain Road in Las Vegas.

Full story (24 April 2002)

 

Wal-Mart violates human rights, condemned for dismissal on racial grounds 

(9 June 2002)