Walmart Mexico could go on strike next week

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On Monday, a labor union representing workers from Walmart Inc’s Mexico said they would go on strike next week if Walmart Mexico did not secure better pay and conditions for thousands of employees.

The National Association of Trade and Home Offices, which holds 121 collective contracts across 10 states with Wal Mart de Mexico, or Walmex, said it was seeking a 20% salary increase over 2018 wage levels for the 8,000 workers it represents.

Last month, Mexico raised the daily minimum wage by 16% under new President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who has vowed to improve wages as well as fight poverty and inequality in the country.

The union also aims to establish a first-ever sales commission for clerks, to be set at 4%.

It also alleged that employees were not properly compensated for working overtime and that some staff suffered abuses including sexual harassment from superiors.

Regarding the allegations of abuse, a company spokeswoman said “that information is completely erroneous”.

Mexico’s Conciliation and Arbitration Board is overseeing the talks, which have a March 5 deadline, said Eduardo Miranda, a spokesman for the union’s umbrella organization, CROC.

Walmex has not yet presented a salary proposal during its three meetings with the union over the past month, he added, increasing the possibility of a strike.

The retailer has about 200,000 employees in Mexico, Miranda said.

Those represented by the National Association of Trade and Home Offices include janitors, cashiers, pharmacy clerks, and warehouse workers. Their 2018 daily salaries ranged between MXN $92 and MXN $169, Miranda said.

50% of Mexicans earn MXN $5,301 per month

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