Police officers arrest a woman during a protest in front of a Walmart at a Pico Rivera intersection across a Walmart store near Los Angeles on Nov. 13, 2014.
Dozens of people protesting difficult working conditions and low
wages at the world’s largest retailer, Walmart, were arrested on Thursday in
the US state of California.
Police say 23 men and women were arrested after they blocked
traffic at a Pico Rivera intersection across a Walmart store near the city of
Los Angeles.
The protest began with a sit-down strike in the store's parking
lot, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.
The demonstration was organized by the United Food &
Commercial Workers (UFCW) union and OUR Wal-Mart, a union-supported group of
employees pushing for wages of $15 an hour and more full-time positions.
"Over the last year, Walmart workers have pressured Walmart
to change its pregnancy policy, provide access to more hours and most recently
to pledge to phase out its minimum wage jobs," the UFCW said on its
website.
"They (Walmart) retaliated against vocal workers standing up
for better wages and worker conditions," the UFCW said.
Employees at Walmart have long complained that many workers there
earn near the minimum wage and often work part-time hours. By contrast, the
Walton family, who own over 50 percent of Walmart, is among the richest
families in the world.
According to the Fortune Global 500 list in 2014, Walmart is the
world's largest company by revenue at over $476 billion.
American fast-food and retail workers have increasingly staged
protests in recent years over low pay. In September, thousands of fast food
workers participates in rallies in 150 US cities.
Source: Press TV
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