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WAL-MART Canada continues questionable behaviour: WAL-MART Canada shuts down another unionised shop WAL-MART Canada has once again decided to close a shop, disregarding the rights of workers to organise and bargain collectively. It is the second time Wal-Mart has shut a Quebec outlet after its workers decided to form a union. The Quebec Labour Court had ruled in August that a collective bargaining agreement negotiated by the union, which among other things gave the workers an increase in wages, had to be enforced by Wal-mart. The company announced the closure on 16 October, blaming the decision on increased costs caused by an “unworkable” new labour contract. Wal-Mart said the higher wages would force it to increase prices by 30 per cent. The closure of a unionized Wal-Mart Tire and Lube Express in Gatineau, Quebec "is another attack on its workers, on the community, and one more example of its blatant disregard for Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms," says Wayne Hanley, the National President of UFCW Canada. WAL-MART cites the increase in wages as the reason for the closing of the shop but workers in Montreal T&LE are pad higher wages and as staff had already been reduced since the ruling by 45 %, it is very likely that there are other reasons for the closing of the shop. There are no reports of increased prices as suggested by WAL-MART after the court ruling in August which can only mean that the company never attempted to find out if the shop could work at higher prices and thus the company comes off as having a very bad case. Since the workshop was highly profitable, there is no other conclusion to draw for the unions other than that the closure is because of the workers exercising their right to unionise. The five workers from the Gatineau shop will be able to find work at other company stores if they like, but a second unionised Wal-Mart in Canada will definitely close its doors. In June 2007 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that under the Charter's Freedom of Association protections, workers in Canada are guaranteed the right to organise for the purposes of collective bargaining. And once again Wal-Mart has proven that it has no respect for the human and labour rights of its workers but only acts in the interest of its shareholders. UNI’s affiliate, the UFCW in Canada has taken the case to the country’s Supreme Court. It is now up to the juridicial system to tell Wal-Mart that it is not above the law and that it must respect the rights of workers to organise and bargain collectively."Also read: Wal-Mart_Quebec_gets_collective_agreement.htm
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