Summary: Labouring the Walmart Way
Parmar describes the high cost of Walmart’s business success in “Labouring the Walmart Way.” He begins by quoting Walmart’s slogan “Always low prices, Always.”, and exposes Walmart’s marketing strategy for how to offer consumers the lowest prices possible. He then poses questions about Walmart’s ethics and the company’s effects on the labour force in Canada and the U.S.A. He reveals Walmart’s hiring strategy; that is, Walmart has failed to pay more than a million workers a decent living wage. Consequently, many of Walmart’s employees need to collect social assistance to make ends meet. Parmar continues that Walmart enforces a union-free workplace attitude to keep wages low and keep benefits down. In addition, Walmart workers endure working overtime with no extra pay although this union-busting attitude is against the law in the U.S.A. He cites that Walmart’s influence on industry labour practices that have consequences for small businesses. They have to recompetitive; otherwise, they go out of business. Parmer concludes that even with the ethical issues above, Walmart’s business model will always survive. Therefore, legislation is necessary to balance the profits of big business with fair pay for employees.
