Wal-Mart Watch: In China, Wal-Mart comes under pressure to allow unionization:

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, said it's willing to let its employees in China set up trade unions, responding to media reports of criticism by the country's national union federation. ``Should associates request formation of a union, Wal-Mart China would respect their wishes and honor its obligation under China's Trade Union Law,'' the Bentonville, Arkansas-based company said in a faxed statement. Local associates, or employees, manage all the company's stores in China, Wal-Mart said. The All-China Federation of Trade Unions blamed foreign companies including Wal-Mart, Eastman Kodak Co. and Dell Inc. for not allowing unions in their Chinese operations, the China Business Weekly, a newspaper published by the official China Daily, reported on Nov. 16.

Meanwhile, Wal-Mart Canada is forced to share documentation of its anti-union strategy:

The Saskatchewan Appeal Court has struck down a lower court decision and ruled the Saskatchewan Relations Labour Board (SLRB) was within its rights when it ordered Wal-Mart to deliver evidence that outlines the company's anti-union strategies. The order by the SLRB was originally issued to Wal-Mart in June 2004 during hearings by the board on an application by the UFCW Canada union to represent employees at a Wal-Mart store in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. "The appeal court has ruled unequivocally that Wal-Mart is not above the law," said Michael Fraser, national director of UFCW Canada. "When the SLRB asked the union to turn over our own organizing materials we complied immediately. What does Wal-Mart have to hide?" In May 2004, UFCW Canada Local 1400 applied to the SLRB for certification after a majority of the Weyburn employees had signed union membership cards. During the initial hearings the board ordered Wal-Mart to deliver internal anti-union strategy materials for the SLRB to determine if the company had breached Saskatchewan labour laws during the campaign. Wal-Mart refused to comply and in July successfully appealed to a judge of the Saskatchewan Queen's Bench to set aside the SLRB order. Today's ruling (see www.lawsociety.sk.ca for the written ruling) overturned July's decision. The Weyburn certification hearings, which were suspended pending the appeal, can now proceed. If Wal-Mart declines to deliver the material as ordered by the SLRB in June, the company could be charged with contempt. "Wal-Mart's stalling has already shown contempt for the Weyburn workers and the SLRB," said Fraser. "Wal-Mart workers have the right to join a union. Let the board determine if that's what the Weyburn workers want and whether Wal-Mart broke the law during this organizing campaign, just like they did in Quesnel, British Columbia and at the Brossard store near Montreal. As Québec's Premier Charest stated recently, Wal-Mart has to play by the same rules as everyone else and obey the laws of the land."

(Wal-Mart Watch archives here.)