Walmart supply chain accused of wage theft

 'They prey on people living on the edge,' claim workers, who are already among the most vulnerable and lowest-paid in America.  "They prey on people living in precarious marginal circumstances. People living on the edge. If that was not the case, they could not do what they do," Bailey said.

The former green energy worker from Detroit has now joined a class action lawsuit recently filed against Roadlink Workforce Solutions, who supply staff to Walmart's Elwood warehouse. The case alleges numerous ways in which wages are stolen or underpaid.

One method is for workers to be asked to appear for a shift, only to be sent home when not chosen for work. Despite turning up at 6.45am or earlier, they say they often receive no pay for their time. Elsewhere, workers say they are paid no overtime, or have time worked rounded down to the nearest whole hour. They also say retaliation for speaking out is common, which also results in lost wages.

Elsewhere in the US, conditions in the outsourced parts of the Walmart supply chain have also been the focus of protest. In the Inland Empire in California, a lawsuit was launched at a Schneider-run warehouse in Mira Loma that alleged wage theft by staffing agencies hired by the company to recruit workers.

But the suit against Roadlink is just the tip of the iceberg. Since 2009 there have been five other suits filed against five different staffing companies which feed workers into the 3.4m sq ft Elwood warehouse. Of those cases, two have been confidentially settled. They, too, described wage theft.

"The system is a modern version of sweatshop labour from the early days. I had to get involved," he said. His arrest was the first time he had ever been detained by police.

Read More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/oct/18/walmart-supply-chain-agencies-accused-wage-theft