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ACFTU to help Wal-Mart establish trade union THE All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) was ready to help Wal-Mart China to establish a trade union, an ACFTU official said Thursday, responding to a statement by the company Tuesday. The ACFTU official, who declined to be named, told Xinhua News Agency that Wal-Mart China had shown a positive change in its long-standing non-union attitude. The ACFTU was planning to help foreign-funded companies, including Wal-Mart, to establish trade unions as soon as possible. Analysts believe that the world retail giant reversed its non-union position under pressure from the ACFTU and the media. China’s labor union threatened legal action against foreign enterprises such as Wal-Mart, Dell, Kodak, and Samsung for refusing to set up trade unions in their Chinese businesses in October this year. The global retailer said in the statement that should associates (workers) request the formation of a union, Wal-Mart China would respect their wishes and honor its obligation under China’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 China’s trade union law.” “Wal-Mart no longer holds the international practice of not building up a trade union as an excuse, indicating that its attitude toward the issue has changed positively,” the ACFTU official said. The ACFTU was planning to distribute questionnaires to employees working in foreign-funded companies to study their working situations and welfare system, said the official. “If their employees intend to set up trade unions, the ACFTU will provide assistance for the early installation of such bodies for the protection of their rights in accordance with the trade union law,” the official said. “And if the foreign-funded companies still deny their workers’ right to join trade unions, the ACFTU will surely pursue litigation against them,” he said. Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, has 190,000 Chinese staff in 37 outlets in 18 Chinese cities. None of the outlets has yet established a trade union. According to China’s trade union law, all employees have the right to join the ACFTU, and anyone who applies to set up a union should be allowed by the company. |
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