After staging strikes…[in the beginning of July] in protest against the company’s imposition a comprehensive working hours system, Walmart workers in China have strengthened their organizing ability by forming a new preparatory committee to better coordinate a national response to Walmart management.

The preparatory committee was formed by 49 activists from across China on 23 July, who elected Wang Shishu, a veteran worker and activist…to serve as the head of the Walmart Workers Rights Defence Coordination Group. Eight deputies were also democratically elected…

In addition, the Group aims to help Walmart workers gain support from the official trade union, and has invited a group of labour rights lawyers to provide legal aid to activists and workers who are subject to reprisals or who are dismissed by Walmart.

In order to ensure that the Group is democratically managed, an oversight panel has been set up, which will be responsible for monitoring the Group’s performance and initiating impeachment procedures against the leadership, if more than one third of the Group’s members agree…