Abstract:
OUR Walmart and US anti-unionism
Coming from Australia with its history of labour representation in Parliament, reflected in a liveable minimum wage and an adequate welfare system, it was a shock to comprehend the disempowered position of labour in the United States. The minimum wage sits at US$7.25 per hour and millions of workers are unable to live on this without government assistance. The far-reaching influence of mammoth corporations in this country and the weakness of the Federal government has led to this situation: health insurance companies control the provision of health care, gun regulation is determined by weapons manufacturers, Wall Street conducts oversight of the financial sector. Pick a political issue and the grubby finger prints of large corporations will be all over it, making politics their instrument. The history of labour in the United States is one of attempting to avoid its complete annihilation by capital. OUR Walmart continues that tradition.
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