Walmart Mexico could go on strike next week

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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