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Tuesday December 19, 2006

Wal-Mart allows Communist Party branch in China HQ

Beijing, Dec 18 (PTI) Wal-Mart, one of the world's largest retailers, has finally allowed employees at its China headquarters in Shenzhen to set up a Communist Party branch, signalling a breakthrough for the ruling party efforts to expand its influence among Fortune-500 companies in the country.

Wal-Mart China's headquarters in the southern city of Shenzhen, set up its Communist Party (CPC) branch on November 15, Xinhua news agency quoted the 'Shenzhen Special Zone Daily' as saying.

The establishment of the branch marks the success in promoting CPC organisation work in foreign companies, the report said.

The move will surely boost more CPC organisations in foreign-financed companies, head of the CPC Shenzhen City Committee's organization department, Wang Suiming said.

In August, Wal-Mart had set up its first party branch in the northeast city Shenyang after the CPC-led trade union pressured the Fortune-500 company to allow employees to form trade unions.

Wal-Mart allowed its first trade union in Jinjiang city in July and since then at least 60 more Wal-Mart outlets in China have set up trade unions with more than 6,000 members, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), affiliated to the CPC.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Entered the Chinese market in 1996, and it now has 67 stores in 34 Chinese cities, with more than 30,000 employees.