The world's leading retailer, Wal-Mart, has offered to engage
China's top union federation in discussions about the formation of
unions among its employees.
The gesture towards rapprochement from Wal-Mart China, came
yesterday after five trade unions were set up in its stores in Fujian, Jiangsu and Guangdong provinces in the previous 10
days.
"We have sent a letter to request a talk with the All-China
Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) to seek possible ways to fulfil
this commitment," Dong Yuguo, senior press manager, told China
Daily from Wal-Mart's headquarters in Shenzhen, Guandong
Province, where three stores set up trade unions this month.
In a written statement, the retailer said it was working with
the federation and local union organizations to establish an
"effective and harmonious" way to establish grassroots unions among
the 30,000 employees in Wal-Mart's 60 China stores.
The ACFTU has been campaigning for two years for the formation
of unions at all 60 Wal-Marts in China, alleging that the company
had blocked its efforts.
Guo Wencai, the ACFTU's department director of grassroots
organization, said his federation is open to discussions.
But at a group interview yesterday, he expressed concern that
the "talks are likely to be fruitless" if the barriers on
Wal-Mart's side are not brought down.
Despite that, Guo is confident that the federation will bring
all Wal-Mart employees under the aegis of a trade union.
"As for a timetable, it's within the near future," he said.
Joe Hatfield, president and CEO of Wal-Mart Asia, said in a
statement: "I fully anticipate working collaboratively with
leadership from ACFTU and union organizations at all levels to
create a model working relationship." Wal-Mart China also said it
has been respecting the "wishes and choices" of its employees to
help facilitate the nascent unions.
Wal-Mart, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, opened its first store
in China in 1996 and has 28,000 Chinese employees. It has few
unions elsewhere in its worldwide operations.
The ACFTU hopes setting up trade unions in Chinese Wal-Mart
stores will encourage other foreign investors in China to follow
suits.
"After succeeding in this difficult case, our efforts at
unionizing employees in other companies will become easier," Guo
said.
As of last September, only 18,000 foreign companies out of the
total of 78,000 in China had set up trade unions. "There is a long
way to go in our goal to setting up trade unions wherever there are
workers," added Guo.
Guo yesterday also ruled out the rumor that some ACFTU employees
joined the trade unions after receiving "gift money" from local
trade union federations and the ACFTU.
"That's nonsense. I've never heard of that," said Guo. But he
admitted that Wal-Mart union members did accept "material support"
from a local trade union federation to facilitate the setting up of
their organizations.
He also said the ACFTU has received some local reports that
Wal-Mart plans to retaliate against anyone joining the trade
unions.
"We are waiting and seeing," said Guo. "If anything happens, we
have legal weapons in our hands."
(China Daily August 10, 2006)