Wal-Mart/Asda

While a serious case of union-busting at a Turkish supplier factory is happening right under their noses, retail giants IKEA, Wal-Mart and Carrefour choose to stand by idly. Smaller household retail chains such as Otto, Kohl’s, Ibena, Target and Kohl's as well as the German textile traders Horizonte are equally condoning the basic labour right violation against hundreds of workers at their supplier. In addition, working conditions in the factory are unacceptably dangerous.

Giant retailers cashing in on poverty wages
Carrefour, Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Walmart profit while supply chain workers face rights violations.

War on Want has launched its latest report Fashion Victims II: How UK clothing retailers are keeping workers in poverty, which exposes the appalling conditions faced by workers producing clothes for Primark, Tesco and Asda.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Walmart is telling its Chinese suppliers they have to repsect workers' rigths, including the right to organsie. Shame they don't do this in their own stores. Oh, and there's still the little question of who will pay for better wages and conditions. Walmart seem to think it must be someone else.

By Ann Zimmerman and Mei Fong, 23 October 2008, The Wall Street Journal Europe

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is hitting its Chinese suppliers with a slate of stringent environmental and safety mandates, just as the manufacturers face rising costs and dwindling demand for their products.

The following is a love letter, penned by Clodagh Hartley for the Sun newspaper, to ASDA. Apparenly the UK arm of WalMart is selling school uniforms for £4.

The Scum thinks this is marvelous news for children and parents alike, and someone called Joyce Daly, from something called the Schoolwear Association, agrees. Presumably the kids and parents this is such great news for aren't the same kids and parents who make these clothes.

Given that ASDA have to pay the production, material, shipping and other costs, and still make a profit that keeps the directors in fancy cars, you don't need a maths degree to work out that the workers are getting screwed. Then again Sun journalists don't even have journalism degrees, let alone maths ones. Read on if you dare...

A new report "The Story of Toys Made in China for Wal-Mart" has been published by the Hong Kong based group SACOM...

'Some people would like us to be better, some would like us not to exist'
Wal-Mart admits increasing unpopularity as unions organise huge protests outside glitz-fest (Guardian, Sat 2 June)

Philippine garment workers still need your support as violence in the Cavite Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) continues.
Appeals and information from the Clean Clothes Campaign.

Tell Wal-Mart, Chong Won management, and the Philippines Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) that this continued violence against workers and flagrant trampling of workers rights will NOT be tolerated!

University Watchdog Uncovers Major Violations of Retail Giant's Code of Conduct & Philippine National Laws
Philippines' Human Rights Crisis Makes it Imperative that Wal-Mart Act to Protect Workers From Further Violence

Facts about Wal-Mart

 Wal-Mart is the world’s largest retailer and largest private employer.
ï‚· Sam Walton founded the firm in 1962 as a single store in Arkansas, USA.
ï‚· It now has more than 5,700 stores worldwide.
ï‚· It employs 1,500,000 workers worldwide.
ï‚· Wal-Mart is the largest retailer in the USA, Canada and Mexico and a major competitor in the UK, Germany, Brazil and South Korea.
ï‚· The FT Global 500 ranked Wal-Mart as the sixth largest multinational according to the total worth of its shares.

Facts about Wal-Mart

• Wal-Mart is the world’s largest retailer and largest private employer.
• Sam Walton founded the firm in 1962 as a single store in Arkansas, USA.
• It now has more than 5,700 stores worldwide.
• It employs 1,500,000 workers worldwide.
• Wal-Mart is the largest retailer in the USA, Canada and Mexico and a major competitor in the UK, Germany, Brazil and South Korea.
• The FT Global 500 ranked Wal-Mart as the sixth largest multinational according to the total worth of its shares.