US presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders is to speak at an annual Walmart shareholders’ meeting in support of workers’ rights.
Staff at the supermarket chain invited the Democratic senator to the company AGM to back their demand for a pay rise and further benefits, plus employee representation on the board of directors.
Staff member Cat Davis, who leads workers’ rights organisation United for Respect, said: “We really want Walmart to think about us, the lowly associates who, behind the scenes, are the ones bringing in the money.”
Mr Sanders said: “If hourly workers at Walmart were well represented on its board, I doubt you would see the CEO of Walmart making over a thousand times more than its average worker.
“Walmart is not a poor company. Workers are sick and tired of being paid poverty wages, while the Walton family is worth over $170 billion (£135bn).”
Walmart shareholders have voted down every employee proposal in the company’s history, according to United for Respect.
