Walmart faces fresh protests over workers' rights and conditions

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/may/29/walmart-moms-protests-workers-rights-conditions




Walmart workers and supporters in the trade union movement say they intend to stage a new series of protests over wages and conditions at America's largest private employer, in which they will target the firm's family-friendly ethic ahead of its annual shareholders meeting next week.

Hundreds of so-called “Walmart moms” who work at stores across the US plan a number of strikes in 20 cities nationwide. Others will travel to Arkansas, the company’s home state, to provide a visual presence to shareholders, workers’ rights groups said on Thursday.

The actions will follow a series of “Black Friday” rallies last year, which came after a House of Representatives committee report found taxpayers were subsidising workers at just one Walmart store to the tune of $1m a year in food stamps and other public-assistance programmes, because of the low wages they took home.

Walmart, which is coming in for increasing criticism over its treatment of staff and other issues, most recently for how it handled an overseas bribery investigation, is expected to face close scrutiny from shareholders after this month posting a fifth-straight quarter of negative same-store sales.