Union Worried By Walmart Rumours
Friday, 15 September 2006
Tindall Buy Out Related to Rumours of Walmart Kmart Buy Out?
Rumours that Walmart has put Australia's second largest retail company, Coles Myer, on its shopping list is an
"extremely worrying development for retail workers, local store owners and supermarket and department store suppliers",
says the National Distribution.
The National Distribution Union has a collective agreement covering the Coles-owned K Mart chain, believed by some to be
available for sale to Walmart.
National Secretary of the National Distribution Union Laila Harré was commenting on speculation in the DOW JONES
NEWSWIRES September 14, 2006 12:18 a.m.(UST).
Laila Harré says that the current lock out of distribution centre workers employed by Woolworths Australia's New Zealand
arm, Progressive, is "just a taste of things to come if Walmart become more directly involved in Australasia. Woolworths
and Walmart have a management exchange programme and the Sydney Morning Herald reported last month that Walmart has a
stake in Woolworths already. Walmart is the world's biggest retailer and has fought to stop its employees organising in
unions at every turn - going as far to close a store when staff joined the union."
"No wonder Stephen Tindall wants the Warehouse off the stock exchange and back in safe hands. Walmart could eat the
Warehouse for breakfast at its current share value."
ENDS