Wal-Mart employees form second union
7 August 2006
Wal-Mart employees in China have formed a second union as officials push for similar set-ups at all of the store's 60 outlets. Quoting state media, the Wall Street Journal reported that 42 employees at a Shenzhen store, the company's first in China set up in 1996, voted Friday to form a union and elected leaders. Last month, employees at another store formed Wal-Mart's first China union with the backing of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions. Zhou Liang, the chairman of the new union in Shenzhen, was quoted as saying the body will "safeguard the lawful rights and interest of the employees" and "cooperate with the enterprise operators". Wall-Mart has 28,000 employees in China and plans to open 18-20 more stores this year.
