8,500 Wal-Mart staff win pay rise in collective contract

More than 8,500 employees of Wal-Mart in Shenzhen will receive a 9 percent wage rise thanks to a collective contract signed by unions and the retail giant on Thursday.

The agreement introduces annual wage negotiations and states that the minimum wage offered by the firm should be higher than the Guangdong city's monthly minimum rate of 1,000 yuan ($147).

Wal-Mart has already signed collective contracts with unions in Shenyang, Liaoning province, and Quanzhou, Fujian province.