| Wal-Mart,
the US retail giant known for fending off organised labour in its
home market, has completed collective bargaining agreements with
unions in three Chinese cities. |
Thanks
to the All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), the agreements
were reached in less than two years with unions in Shenyang, Quanzhou
and Shenzhen, after ACFTU launched a high-profile campaign to
organise workers and mark a new chapter in the development of
the China′s labour movement.
|
| According
to a Wal-Mart′s spokesman, the agreement includes an annual December
review of salaries and an expected 9 per cent average pay rise for
the year 2008/2009 as well as a 1per cent pay rise for those who
get promoted. The company also agrees to pay more than the government
minimum wage. The agreement also settled requirements on working
hours and holidays. More than 48,500 people currently work at 105
Wal-Mart stores across China. All have been unionised over the past
two years and their representatives are negotiating collective contracts
with management. |
| "Shenyang
was the first and Quanzhou was signed," Wal-Mart said. "By
law [collective bargaining] is required and we respect the law wherever
we operate."
|
| Wal-Mart,
the world′s largest retailer, for years successfully resisted the
ACFTU′s attempts to unionise its China operations. With that battle
finally won by the ACFTU two years ago in Quanzhou, the union′s
focus is turning to collective bargaining with management as required
by a new Labour Contract Law introduced in China this January.
|
Activists
view official endorsement of collective bargaining as a step forward
in the development of the country′s labour movement. But the government
still frowns on strikes and the establishment of unions independent
of the ACFTU remains illegal.
|
