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Wal-Mart staff set up trade union

By Sun Xiaohua (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-07-31 09:55

Earlier this month, the 30 employees applied to the Quanzhou Federation of Trade Unions to set up a union branch.

The federation offered them guidance in forming the branch and last night Vice-Chairman Fu Furong praised the workers' determination to look after their rights.

"Their strong aspiration for unionization was the driving factor in establishing the branch," said Fu.

Wal-Mart has faced sustained criticism from unions in the US and Canada. The US's United Food and Commercial Workers Union regularly organizes pickets outside Wal-Mart stores.

In Canada, union bosses claim Wal-Mart closed its Jonquiere, Quebec, branch in 2004 in retaliation after employees unionized.

However, in the same year, Wal-Mart issued a statement promising to abide by the Law of Trade Union and respect employees' rights to form unions in China.

"The foundation of Wal-Mart's first trade union is a milestone for the unionisation of foreign-funded enterprises in China," said Xu Deming, vice-chaiman of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU).

ACFTU statistics show that by last September, only about 26 per cent of the more than 150,000 foreign-funded enterprises in China had set up trade unions.

The ACFTU expects more trade unions will be set up in foreign-invested companies this year.