“India's businesses including kiranas will not be able to survive Walmart's cut throat and unfair competition without proper enforceable protection,” says UNI Global Union, a federation representing over 900 trade unions.
Job displacement and maltreatment of workers will be rampant if big box retailers are allowed into the country without strict conditions, says Ms Christy Hoffman, Deputy General Secretary of UNI Global. “We propose a national tri-partite Wage Board to negotiate national minimum conditions in the industry and also setting up of a workers union.”
Releasing a report, “Walmart's Global Track Record and the Implications for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Multi-Brand Retail in India,” she said, “We have presented compelling evidence to the Indian Government on Walmart's appalling track record and India needs to make sure that its workers do not suffer the same negative effects as other Walmart workers around the world.”
UNI Global also said the criticism of Walmart did not apply to all foreign retailers who propose to enter the Indian market. Ms Hoffman alleged that “companies like Walmart dictate standards in price and quantity on their vendors. By its sheer size, Walmart dictates the standards for the industry.”
The federation said it had also met with Department of Industries and Polices, the nodal agency for framing FDI rules, officials to apprise them of the situation. Walmart India did not comment on the report.