US union aided Saccawu's Wal-Mart fight

The United Food and Commercial Workers' International Union paid about R3.1 million in legal fees to help the SA Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers' Union (Saccawu) keep Wal-Mart out of South Africa, Business Day reported.

This was revealed in the United Food and Commercial Workers' International Union's financial disclosure report to the US labour department.

Business Day reported that Michael Bride, US-based deputy organising director for global strategies of the international union, said it had made the investment to show "its commitment to South Africa".

"We do not believe Wal-Mart's dismal labour relations record should go unnoticed. We are committed to citizens all over the world, wherever Wal-Mart may operate," he reportedly said.

The union made two payments to South African law firm Cheadle Thompson and Haysom last year for "organising legal services".

This was used to help Saccawu appeal a decision by the Competition Tribunal to give Wal-Mart the go-ahead to take a R16.5 billion controlling stake in Wal-Mart in May.

Massmart spokesman Brian Leroni told Business Day the retailer had discovered early in the merger approval process that the US union appeared to be "taking advantage of the favourable industrial relations environment in South Africa to advance their agenda in partnership with local unions".

On Tuesday, Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel said the government had spent about R4.1 million challenging the Wal-Mart/Massmart merger.

The government participated in the Competition Tribunal proceedings.

After the tribunal approved the merger, subject to certain conditions, the government applied to the Competition Appeal Court to review the decision.

It asked to be party to the appeal launched by Saccawu, on the basis of both procedural and substantive defects in the tribunal outcome.

As part of its finding, the Competition Appeal Court directed that three experts be nominated - one by the government, one by Wal-Mart, and one by the trade unions - to look at how local South African suppliers could be assisted to benefit from the merger.

The government has appointed economist and Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz as its expert.

Massmart/Wal-Mart has appointed as its expert Professor Mike Morris of policy research in international services and manufacturing at the School of Economics at the University of Cape Town.

Source: Sapa