By Liana
Foxvog, National Organizer of SweatFree Communities

On Wednesday concerned consumers visited an
estimated sixty Walmart stores in the US, Canada and the UK to call on the
mega-retailer to help free Bangladeshi labor leaders Kalpona Akter and Babul
Akhter.

This comes in the wake of thousands of emails that people
from around the world have sent to the chain store.  Consider sending an email today if you haven't already.

Called for by SweatFree Communities, a campaign of the
International Labor Rights Forum, these actions are part of a growing
international campaign that is putting pressure on the Bangladeshi government
and two factory conglomerates, Nassa Group and Envoy Group, to release the two
unjustly imprisoned labor leaders, drop all charges against them, and restore
the non-governmental organization status of the Bangladesh Center for Worker
Solidarity.  You can learn more here.

Some of us spoke to store managers who were sympathetic,
curious to learn where Bangladesh is on the map, and shocked to find out about
the country's abysmally low wages. At some stores activists flyered for nearly
an hour until leaflets ran out, without any bother from security, whereas at
other stores activists were asked to leave after ten minutes.

One activist was out almost til midnight
visiting three stores.

The actions had an impact and Walmart heard our
voices. A representative from Walmart called our office wanting to
discuss the matter further. We will continue to bring our message to Walmart
until the retailer agrees to suspend its business with Nassa and Envoy so long
as these conglomerates remain behind the charges against the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity.