Wal-Mart faces class action lawsuit over sweatshop conditions News
Wal-Mart faces class action lawsuit over sweatshop conditions

[JURIST] Workers in six countries filed a class action lawsuit in California Tuesday against retail giant Wal-Mart [corporate website; JURIST news archive], alleging illegal sweatshop conditions in the company's toy and clothing factories. The non-US claims cite that the workers were paid below minimum wage, forced to work unpaid overtime and had to endure beatings by supervisors. The complaint [PDF text; press release] also includes several US plaintiffs, workers from California grocery stores who say that Wal-Mart's entry into the local market forced their employers to reduce pay and benefits. The complaint also alleges that Wal-Mart breached its own agreement with foreign suppliers by failing to monitor factory working conditions. Reuters has more.