Supermarkets Poll: 83% of Asda Wal-Mart Shoppers Want Tougher Rules For Supermarkets
GMB
Asda Wal-Mart customers have
overwhelmingly backed calls for tougher laws to protect people and the
environment from supermarket expansion, according to a new ICM poll
commissioned by War on Want.
The poll has been published to mark the launch of
www.AsdaWatch.co.uk, a new website
which highlights the way in which Asda Wal-Mart treats its own staff and
suppliers in developing countries.
The main findings of the poll are:
75% of shoppers think the government should bring in new laws to stop companies exploiting suppliers in developing countries
61% of shoppers believe that supermarkets are bad for local communities because of their market dominance
83% of Asda customers want to see tougher rules for supermarkets
By a margin of 3 to, 1 Asda shoppers believe that big supermarkets like Asda
do not pay their staff “decent pay”
According to Louise Richards,
War on Want's Chief Executive, the new opinion poll shows big supermarkets
like Asda are out of touch. She said, "Asda Wal-Mart's own shoppers think
that the company is not meeting its responsibilities to the community, that's
why shoppers want new laws brought in to ensure that supermarkets play fair.
Big supermarkets are exploiting workers here and around the world to make
bigger profits. This is a clear message to government - its time to get tough
on supermarkets".
The results come in a tough week for the company, as the GMB union prepares to
announce the date for the balloting of its members for strike action at 20
depots across Britain. This comes after the company failed to adhere to a deal
with the GMB over collective bargaining agreements. Further, Asda Wal-Mart is
one of four supermarket chains to be investigated by the Competition
Commission over fears that their market dominance is distorting prices.
Paul Kenny, General Secretary of the GMB union, said, “Asda Wal-Mart does
not accept the fundamental points that pay and conditions agreements need to
be fair and arrived at fairly. GMB members in the 20 distribution depots will
not settle for less, so strike action looks inevitable to resolve this real
clash of cultures. Asda Wal-Mart would be well advised to adhere to the UK
standards expected by their customers, their suppliers and their staff, rather
than look across the Atlanticto what is acceptable there.”
The website, www.AsdaWatch.org, draws
on testimonies from present and former Asda Wal-Mart staff and looks in detail
at how the company makes vast profits by squeezing suppliers and exploiting
staff. As well as detailed research on the company, the website carries a
series of podcast interviews with union activists, workers in developing
countries, and people whose lives have been affected by Asda Wal-Mart’s
expansion.
On Friday (12 May) a critically acclaimed and damning new documentary,
Wal-Mart: The high cost of a low price, receives its UK release. The film
features the traders of Queen’s Market in London’s East End whose livelihoods
are under threat from a proposed Asda Wal-Mart superstore. The film was
previewed yesterday, 10 May, to Labour MPs in Parliament.
Also check out www.walmartwatch.com
May 2006
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