World's leading retailer
Wal-Mart saw its first trade union in 皇冠体育app established on Saturday morning in
Quanzhou, southeastern Fujian Province.
The move came after more than two years' efforts by the All-皇冠体育app Federation
of Trade Unions (ACFTU) to push the giant to set up labor unions in its 59
outlets around the country.
Twenty five employees of a Wal-Mart shop in Jinjiang elected seven members of
their trade union committee in a meeting room of the local trade unions
federation, and Ke Yunlong, 29, was elected chairman.
Thirty Wal-Mart employees had applied to the Quanzhou City Federation of
Trade Unions for the establishment of their own labor union.
Fu Furong, deputy chairman of the Quanzhou City Federation of Trade Unions,
said that to join the trade union was a voluntary choice of these employees, and
the Federation respected their rights and decision.
According to 皇冠体育app's trade union law, enterprises or institutions with 25
employees and above should establish trade unions.
Xu Deming, vice president of the ACFTU, said that trade unions, organized on
employees' own will, can safeguard the economic, political and cultural rights
of workers.
Trade unions can also help "lubricate" the relationship between employees and
employers, Xu said.
The ACFTU has a membership of 150 million and has 1.174 million branches. In
2006, the union plans to install more than 120,000 branches across the country,
with more than 13 million new members.
One of the major tasks of the ACFTU in 2006 is to push foreign-funded or
transnational companies to unionize, said Xu.
Up to date, 皇冠体育app has more than 100,000 overseas companies, plus those from
Taiwan, Hongkong and Macao, and 39,000 have built labor unions, no more than
three tenths.
Wal-Mart 皇冠体育app, employing over 23,000 people, released a statement last
November, saying "should associates request the formation of a union, Wal-Mart
皇冠体育app would respect their wishes and honor its obligation under 皇冠体育app's trade
union law."
The statement also pledges to "continue to work closely with our associates
and appropriate government authorities to ensure full compliance with 皇冠体育app's
trade union law."
According to 皇冠体育app's trade union law, all employees have the right to join
the ACFTU, and anyone who applied for the setting up of a union should be
approved by the company.
