Sekuyiminyaka, i-behemoth yomhlaba wonke, i-Walmart, ibonakala ingenakukwazi ukuhlela imizamo. Izinyunyana, ikakhulukazi i I-United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), bazamile ukuhlanganisa abasebenzi abadayisayo enkampaniniโokunesikhathi eside yaziwa ngamanani aphansi kanye namaholo obumpofuโkodwa ukuxhashazwa kwezinyunyana okunonya kwenkampani bekulokhu kunqoba ngalolo suku.
Ngakho-ke kuyamangaza kwabaningi ukuzwa, kubukeka sengathi akusabonakali, ukuthi abasebenzi kuzo zombili izingalo zokuthengisa nezokusabalalisa zenkampani waphuma emsebenzini e-Illinois, Maryland, Dallas, California, nakwezinye izindawo enyangeni edlule. Abasebenzi be-warehouse abatelekile bahlele ne I-Warehouse Workers United eCalifornia nase Abasebenzi be-Warehouse for Justice e-Illinois; abasebenzi bezitolo ezweni lonke nge I-Walmart YETHU-zonke izinhlangano ezixhumene nezinyunyana, kodwa okungezona izinyunyana ngokwazo.
Kulezi zikhathi kubuza isazi-mlando sezabasebenzi u-Nelson Lichtenstein ukuthi asikhanyisele ngegagasi lakamuva lesiyaluyalu sabasebenzi base-Walmart. U-Lichtenstein, umqondisi we-Center for the Study of Work, Labor and Democracy kanye noprofesa womlando e-University of California-Santa Barbara, sekuyisikhathi eside ebona kokubili imikhuba yebhizinisi le-Walmart nemizamo yabasebenzi yokuhlela lapho. Ungumbhali we I-Retail Revolution: I-Walmart Yadala Kanjani Umhlaba Omusha Webhizinisi Onesibindi.
Kuke kwaba nemizamo edlule yezinyunyana yokuhlela abasebenzi be-Walmart engakazuzwa kangako. Yini eshintshile?
Eminyakeni eyishumi edlule, i-UFCW yahamba umzila wokuhlela we-orthodox. Bekunabasebenzi abasayine amakhadi ezinyunyana okubalwa nezinkulu kwezinye izindawo. Kodwa i-Walmart yayiyinhle kakhulu ekusebenziseni umthetho wezabasebenzi okhona, osebenzisana kakhulu nezinkampani, ukuwuqeda. I-UFCW yabona ukuthi lokho ngeke kusebenze. Ngakho-ke I-Walmart YETHU [Inhlangano Ehlangene Yokuhlonipha eWalmart] iwuhlobo lokubuyela ezinhlakeni zezabasebenzi zama-1930s. Yinhlanganoโabafuni isitifiketi esisemthethweni, abasho ukuthi bamele wonke umuntu. Bayidlanzana elizimisele ngokukhipha izintamo.
Yisiteleka sokubonisa. Kuso sonke isisebenzi esiphumela ngaphandle futhi sibambe uphawu lwepiki, ungaqiniseka ukuthi izisebenzi ezingama-25 ngaphakathi esitolo noma kwezinye izitolo zizizwa ngendlela efanayo kodwa ziyesaba ukuvezwa esidlangalaleni.
Okuqaphelekayo wukuthi lesi sihlava sabasebenzi abadinwe sihlala sikhona. Kodwa esikhathini esidlule, ubungaqiniseka ukuthi uma isisebenzi, noma ngisho nomphathi osizayo, engawudonsi ulayini we-Walmart, bazoxoshwa. Hhayi ngokushesha, ukuhlala ngakwesokunene somthetho wezabasebenzi, kodwa phakathi nonyaka, ungaqiniseka ukuthi bazobe bengasekho.
Uma, ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezizayo, i-Walmart ingaziphindiseleli ngokuhlelekile kulaba basebenzi abatelekile, izobonisa abanye abasebenzi ukuthi banganamathela. zabo izintamo ngaphandle. Kuzokwenza nabanye abasebenzi benze into efanayo. Lezi zenzo zingaba isiphetho seqhwa.
Bobabili abasebenzi bezitolo kanye nabasebenzi be-warehouse bahlanganyele iziteleka ezingenabulungiswa zabasebenzi-iqhinga eliyingozi elinethuba elikhulu lokuhluleka.
Awu, yini ukwehluleka futhi yini impumelelo? Uma iziteleka zibonakala kakhulu, futhi izisebenzi zizikhomba kulayini wokuqopha ngaphandle kwe-Walmart, futhi lezo zisebenzi zigcina imisebenzi yazo, ake sithi, unyaka ngemva kwalokho, futhi kungabikho ukuphindisela okubonakalayo, leyo yimpumelelo.
Manje, ngokuqinisekile i-UFCW iyazi ukuthi ayikwazi ukuvele ilahle lezi zisebenzi, futhi izivumele zikhishwe ngamunye ngamunye ngabaphathi onyakeni olandelayo. Kudingeka babe khona lapho phezu kwe-Walmart, ngakho-ke uma abantu benqanyulwa amahora abo noma bafakwe obishini, bangabuya bathi, โUziphindiselela. umsebenzi ovikelekile ohlangene. Laba basebenzi bavikelwe umthetho wezabasebenziโawukwazi ukuziphindiselela kubo.โ
Lezi ziteleka zezitolo zenzeka ngokushesha ngemuva kokuthi abasebenzi base-Walmart awarehouse e-Elwood, Ill., bememezele a ukunqoba okukhulu kusukela isiteleka sabo: Abasebenzi abangu-30 abashiye umsebenzi ngoSepthemba babuyela emsebenzini ngoMgqibelo beholelwa ngokugcwele. Kubaluleke kangakanani ukuthi le mizamo igxile ohlelweni lokusabalalisa lwe-Walmart kanye nezitolo ezithengisa ngasikhathi sinye?
Inzuzo yokuncintisana ye-Walmart uhlelo lwabo oluhle kakhulu lokusabalalisa. Kukhona izingqimba zosonkontileka abancane, kodwa konke kuwuhlelo olulodwa. Kuyi-sweatshop enkulu, lapho ingcindezi ifakwa kosonkontileka abancane ukuba bacindezele abasebenzi. Imboni iwuchungechunge lokuhlinzeka, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ubani umqashi wezobuchwepheshe.
Enye yezinzuzo ezincintisanayo ze-Walmart yikhono labo lokusebenzisa abasebenzi ngezindlela ababhekisela kuzo ngokuthi "zivumelana nezimo." Ngenani namuhla ebusuku, nisebenze amahora amathathu kusasa, njll. Kubasebenzi, lokhu kuyisiphithiphithi. Ngakho-ke impumelelo engathi sรญna yokuhlela ingaba uma, ezinyangeni eziyisithupha ezizayo, izisebenzi zithola amashifu angabikezelwa kakhudlwana, noma uma abaphathi bezitolo becabanga kabili ngaphambi kokususa umuntu eshifini baye kwelinye.
Lapho abasebenzi bevota enhlanganweni yaseQuebec futhi empeleni bephoqeleka ukuthi baxoxisane nenyunyana, inyunyana ayizange icele ukunyuselwa amaholo noma izinzuzo. Babefuna ukunikeza izisebenzi amashifu angabikezelwaโukwenza kube nokwenzeka ngezisebenzi ukuphila. Esikhundleni sokwenza lokhu, i-Walmart yavala isitolo. UWalmart ubethi, "Ngeke sikwazi ukusebenza uma izisebenzi ziqinisekile ngomsebenzi ojwayelekile."
Engxoxweni ye Salon ezitelekeni, uProfesa weNyuvesi yaseColumbia uDorian Warren wathi imizamo yakudala yokuhlela inkampani โyayibikezelwe kakhulu ngokombono we-Walmart,โ kodwa ukuthi lezi zindlela ezintsha zokuhlela ukuphazamisa uchungechunge lokusabalalisa ziwushintsho. Ingabe uyavuma?
Ngiyavuma. Ngicabanga ukuthi uma i-Walmart ingazi ukuthi lezi zimangalo zizovela njalo, lokho kushintsha izinto. Kufanele bazibuze, "Ingabe sizoba nokunye ukukhipha kwabezindaba, noma sizoshintsha izimo zokusebenza?" Futhi njengoba ngishilo, uma laba basebenzi bengakwazi ukuphuma ngaphandle kokuziphindiselela, lokho kuzonika abanye abasebenzi isibindi esikhathini esizayo. Umlando omningi wabasebenzi wenzeka lapho ingekho inyunyana, enezingcindezi ezingakahleleki nezicashile. Futhi yilokho okwenzeka lapha.
I-Walmart igcizelele, ngokuvamile ngobudlova, kwezinye zezincwadi zayo ze-PR ukuthi ayizizwa isongelwa yilezi zenzo, ukuthi lokhu kuyibhizinisi njengenjwayelo phakathi kwabo ne-UFCW. Ucabanga ukuthi inkampani izwa ukushisa?
Iminyaka eminingi, kube nohlobo lwempi yokukhuluma phakathi kwama-liberals kanye ne-Walmart mayelana nokuthi irekhodi lenkampani ezindabeni ezimbalwa, kusukela kuma-sweatshops e-China kuya kwezemvelo. Kodwa manje, unabasebenzi bangempela abatelekile.
Lokhu kungeza ubuqiniso obuningi bokugxeka kwe-Walmart. Udinga izisebenzi zangempela ze-Walmart, ezinamagama nobuso, ukuze uphikisene nenkampani icala. Ngoba lokho kubeka ukugxila lapho kufanele kube khona: kubasebenzi nezimo zabo zokuhlala.
Abakhululi benkululeko bebelokhu belinganisa ukugxeka okungacacile kwe-Walmart; lesi siteleka singenza lokho kugxeka kucace kakhulu.
Yebo. Isiteleka sithatha izinto ngaphezu kokugxeka kwe-Walmartโokuwukugxeka okuhle, kodwa ngeke kuzixazulule lezi zinkinga. Ezinye izingqinamba ezifana nemvelo zibalulekile, kodwa inkinga esemqoka ukuthi, uyini umlingiswa womsebenzi e-Walmart? Abasebenzi abekho ocingweni ngenxa yerekhodi lezemvelo le-Walmart, noma ngenxa yama-sweatshops e-China, kokubili okubi kakhulu. Bazama ukuguqula ukuphila kwabo kwansuku zonke. Futhi lokho kuwumongo walokho okwenziwa yinhlangano yabasebenzi.
MAYELANA NALOMBHALI
UMicah Uetricht ungumgqugquzeli wezabasebenzi eChicago futhi ungumbhali oneqhaza ethi In Kulezi Zikhathi. Ubhalele iSalon, The Nation, The American Prospect, Jacobin, kanye neLabour Notes, futhi wayengumbhali wezisebenzi zeCampusProgress.org. Okubaluleke kakhulu, ubuye abe ngumfundi oziqhenyayo wokuhlela we-In These Times. Mlandele ku-Twitter @micahuetricht noma umthinte ku-micah [dot] uetricht [ku] gmail [dot] com.
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