China union and Wal-Mart talks in limbo

[Omaha Steve]

Full story: http://money.excite.com/ht/nw/bus/20060809/hle_bus-pek16270.html

China union and Wal-Mart talks in limbo



Wednesday August 9, 7:17 AM EDT

BEIJING (Reuters) - Sparring between China's official trade union and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) intensified on Wednesday, with the union warning the world's largest retailer not to act against members while the company called for talks.

Guo Wencai, an official from the All China Federation of Trade Unions, said earlier that the two sides would meet on Wednesday to discuss the federation's campaign to spread official unions into Wal-Mart that began two weeks ago.

But a deputy president of Wal-Mart China, Li Chengjie, later told the official Xinhua news agency the company was waiting for a reply to its request for talks away from news media. Guo had said media would be present.

Guo warned Wal-Mart "not to take revengeful measures" against workers who join unions, Xinhua reported later in the day.

[Robbien]

1. Wal-Mart is not having a good time overseas

They finally shut their doors in Germany by selling all their stores to a huge German discount company. Now the only place other than the US where Walmart has a huge presence is in China, and China wants to unionize.

The irony of this cannot be overlooked. The store who is famous in the US for fighting unions is being forced to unionize in communist China.

[MrPrax]

2. Yes...that is odd...

I presume that the cap-pittle-ist forces must be stronger in America than China. :eyes: