WAL_MART SUPPORTS WORKERS" RIGHTS (SORT OF)

Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, is known to be one of the world's most anti-union corporations. But that doesn't mean it's immune to pressure. (You might want to sit down now -- the next paragraph may come as kind of a shock.)Campaigners supporting strikers at a Wal-Mart supply factory in the Philippines managed to get the Arkansas-based giant to call for the immediate reinstatement of 117 unjustly-fired union members. That's right -- Wal-Mart has actually backed a union call for justice.It's a great step forward, but it's not enough. Unions are now calling on Wal-Mart to use its influence with its supplier to pressure it to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement with the union representing its workers. Meanwhile, the workers at Chong Won Fashion remain on strike, still walking the picket line they set up back in September 2006. The workers are on strike because management will not negotiate with their union.Frankly, I'm amazed that we've gotten this far. You may remember that we already campaigned in support of these workers back in December.If our pressure has gotten Wal-Mart to push for the re-hiring of sacked union members, more pressure might compell the company to push a bit harder. If we can get the employer to talk to the union, the strike can end.Please send off your message to Mr. Rajan Kamalanathan, the Director of Compliance, Global Procurement at Wal-Mart, today:http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=222Union Congress is organizing a demonstration next week:http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-13126-f0.cfm