Walmart has a partner: Membership required

[azul]

Global firms operating in China are being pressured to sign up with a government-affiliated union now, or pay more later

RATHER than deal with trade unions, Walmart, the world’s biggest retailer, has reconfigured its operations around the world, even pulling out of some markets altogether. But, in a reflection of just how different operating conditions are in China, Walmart signed collective-bargaining agreements with workers in two provinces in July. Further agreements covering all 50,000 of its local employees in China are a foregone conclusion.

The financial terms of the contract are of only minor importance. Far more important are the other implications of Walmart’s new ties to the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), a monopoly that claims 193m members and is deeply intertwined with China’s government and Communist Party. Like it or not, Walmart now has a business partner, and if it wants to close stores, lay off employees, or change other aspects of its business such as operating hours and work quotas (what employees are expected to accomplish), that partner must be consulted.

http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11848496


Let labor and countries beware, capital business is on the prowl, and it thrives on keeping ahead of international law. Business persons insinuate themselves into countries until they get a crack at writing legislation, then bingo, another damn dollar to divide fairly.

It's just business, like it's not just people's lives. The economic balance has toppled toward capital wealth, away from wages and labor. And it's anti-democratic.

I think the term is fascism, minus labor. And the US military and CIA seem to be pointing the cannon at real people to make the point. And this administration is pressuring for a coalition of the enablers to hoist the Jolly Roger over the UN.

[showmemo]

1. Time to unionize Walmart

Stop shopping there until they accept Unions

[azul]

2. but, Walmart killed the country store

(a cool song that I heard on the radio today)

And people are bargain hunting from necessity. There's not much choice for many people. Ironic eh, that they started out as exclusively selling US made goods and morphed into something hideously un-American. Or at least, something distributing wealth upwards.