No American companies are contributing to this fund to help Bangladeshi factory workers affected by the big building collapse last year. Walmart in particular is not, because they claim that any clothes made there for them was unauthorized. Sure...
"Compensation is so important because so many families are suffering -- many families don't have anyone left to support them," said Kalpona Akter, executive director of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity. "There's been a good response from some European brands, but so far none of the U.S. retailers have agreed to pay a single penny for compensation."But to the dismay of those pushing to create the compensation funds, neither Walmart, Sears, Children's Place nor any of the other American companies that were selling goods produced at Tazreen or Rana Plaza have agreed to contribute to the efforts.
And there we have it. Another greedy American corporation not taking responsibility for its actions all in the name of the almighty Greenback. It's disgusting.
Lest we forget, Walmart's founder, Sam Walton, once remarked:
"We feel very strongly that Wal-Mart really is not, and should not be, in the charity business." Money that Wal-Mart donated to charity, he reasoned, would only come out of the pockets of "either our shareholders or our customers." (He didn't mention workers, perhaps a tacit acknowledgment that picking their pockets was just business as usual.)
Please do not give Walmart any of your business if you can help it at all. They have a long way to go to become a thoughtful corporate neighbor. A looooonnggg way to go.
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