Scaling The Great Wal-Mart of China Down to Size

[BayCityProgressive]

I found this article written by a Chinese trade unionist from Beijing of the recent unionization of Wal-Mart in China. Interesting article, but does anyone have any information on whether the formation of this union resulted in better conditions or pay for these workers?

http://www.politicalaffairs.net/article/articleview/4737/1/237/

In recent years, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), the largest labor organization in the world, has launched a time-consuming, seesaw battle with Wal-Mart, the largest multinational retailer in the world. The prolonged struggle between unionization and counter-unionization, waged by the ACFTU and the management of Wal-Mart (China), lasted for four years, and finally ended with a result that created a great sensation in China and throughout the world. Suddenly and unexpectedly, the ACFTU had now succeeded in setting up grassroots unions at all of Wal-Mart's 60 branch stores in China within a period of two months. How did the ACFTU manage to establish unions at Wal-Mart? What are the implications of this achievement? What follows is a brief analysis.

Multinational giant Wal-Mart has been criticized for its anti-union stance for years. Since its entry into Chinese market in 1996, in 10 years Wal-Mart has opened 60 stores in 30 cities nationwide with more than 30,000 local employees, headquarted in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. This year, it stepped up the pace of opening new stores in China to a rate of more than 20 stores per year.

The ACFTU has always asked Wal-Mart to permit the formation of unions in its China stores. As an alternative to Wal-Mart's traditional policy of intense resistance to unions, the ACFTU has repeatedly stated its goal of creating a harmonious, win-win labor relationship at Wal-Mart that will both promote the development of the enterprise and defend the rights and interests of Wal-Mart workers.