Wal-Mart launches probe into labor abuse allegations

United States retailing giant Wal-Mart yesterday launched its own investigation into the findings of a New-York based human rights group, which levied serious labor abuse allegations against the company after inspecting five of its supplier factories in China. “We take such reports very seriously,” a statement from Wal-Mart said. “We will take prompt remedial action if our investigations confirm any of the alleged findings.” A China Labor Watch (CLW) report, which was made public on Wednesday, alleged that employees in a number of Chinese supplier factories of the US retailer have been forced to work up to 77 hours a week in “poor working conditions”. As the world’s largest retailer, “Wal-Mart leverages its massive product orders to purchase goods at low prices, and the workers have to bear the financial burden”, CLW said in a statement. More…

News selected by Covalence | Country: China | Company – Ethical Quote link: Wal-Mart | Source: China Daily