National Organization of Women Joins Rights Groups Urging Mexico To Confront Wal-Mart On Labor Issues

?While it may be hard for some of these suppliers [to meet price demands], Wal-Mart is making huge profits. Money needs to come down from this mega-corporation so that small suppliers aren?t squeezed to provide ever more product at lower costs that can lead to forced labor and other severe labor exploitations,? said Jacob Horowitz of the New Orleans-based National Guestworker Alliance, which is helping organize the trip.

National Organization of Women President Terry O?Neill, head of Worker Rights Consortium Scott Nova and other civil and labor rights advocates are planning to meet with representatives from Mexico?s Foreign Relations Secretariat and rights groups south of the border on Sunday and Monday.

The meeting comes as Mexico is implementing a series of broad reforms to its labor law, including bolstering the government?s obligation to ensure its citizens working abroad are treated in compliance with local and international agreements on workers? rights. How Mexico would confront a major, publicly listed U.S. company is unclear. Wal-Mart?s largest foreign subsidiary is in Mexico and was faced earlier this year with a bribery scandal.

Foreign nationals are allowed to enter the United States on H-2 visas, allowing them to work legally as seasonal workers. The H-2B visa allows laborers to enter the non-agricultural job market in areas where employers claim they cannot find American citizens to perform the duties. Common jobs include seasonal hotel housekeeping work, landscaping, forestry and seafood processing.

?We know the Mexican government is concerned about the treatment of its citizens that work abroad, but they may not be aware of how egregious the extent to which labor practices affect Mexican guest workers,? Nova said. ?The primary focus is on Wal-Mart, which is by far the most powerful player. It claims to take responsibility with respect to the rights of the workers. All of this is part and parcel of a system that feeds into the Wal-Mart supply chain from which it profits.?

Wal-Mart would not comment on the story, but it says it holds its suppliers to ethical and legal standards. In June, with the help of rights advocates, seafood processors from Mexico complained to the Dept. of Labor

Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/national-organization-women-joins-rights-groups-urging-mexico-confront-wal-mart-labor-issues-797563

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