Today, the International Labor Rights Fund (ILRF) filed a lawsuit against Wal-Mart on behalf of sweatshop workers at the retail giant’s suppliers in China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nicaragua and Swaziland.
The lawsuit was also filed on behalf of a group of worker from California businesses who compete with Wal-Mart because they lost pay and benefits when their employers forced them to make wage and benefit concessions in order to compete with Wal-Mart’s sweatshop workers abroad.
“We look forward to working with the ILRF to stand up for workers who are being hurt by Wal-Mart’s policies both here and abroad,” stated Blank. “This lawsuit demonstrates that Wal-Mart is not only leading the race to the bottom in the U.S. but is leading the race to the bottom around the world. As the world’s largest company, Wal-Mart should be setting the standard for corporate responsibility; instead, it is needlessly exploiting workers to gain competitive advantage.”