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    China Business
     Aug 1, 2006
Wal-Mart unionized in China

QUANZHOU, China - US retail giant Wal-Mart saw its first trade union in China established on Saturday in Quanzhou, southeastern Fujian province.

The move came after more than two years of efforts by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) to push the giant to set up labor unions in its 59 outlets around the country.

Twenty-five employees of a Wal-Mart shop in the Jinjiang area of in Quanzhou elected seven members of their trade-union committee in a meeting room of the local trade-unions federation. Thirty had applied to the Quanzhou City Federation of Trade Unions for establishment of their own labor union.

Fu Furong, deputy chairman of the federation, said it was



voluntary for employees to join the union and the federation respected their rights and decision.

According to China's trade-union law, enterprises or institutions with 25 employees and more should establish trade unions.

Xu Deming, vice president of the ACFTU, said trade unions can safeguard the economic, political and cultural rights of workers. Unions can also help "lubricate" the relationship between employees and employers, Xu said.

The ACFTU has a membership of 150 million and has almost 1.2 million branches. In 2006, the union plans to install more than 120,000 branches across the country, with more than 13 million new members.

One of the major tasks of the ACFTU in 2006 is to push foreign-funded or transnational companies to unionize, Xu said.

Wal-Mart China, employing more than 23,000 people, released a statement in November saying, "Should associates request the formation of a union, Wal-Mart China [will] respect their wishes and honor its obligation under China's trade-union law."

The statement also pledges to "continue to work closely with our associates and appropriate government authorities to ensure full compliance with China's trade-union law".

According to that law, all employees have the right to join the ACFTU, and anyone who applies to establish a union should be approved by the company.

(Asia Pulse/XIC)

 

 
 



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