Over the past months, current and former Walmart employees in China have been organizing to voice their grievances and protest the new company policies. This is a pattern that can be seen across China, but Walmart employees specifically are forgoing formal union intervention in favor of coordinating through social media and other, more independent, forms of activism. 20,000 employees, for example, have downloaded and communicate through the app WeChat. Workers stated that Walmart supervisors have attempted to silence the voices of labor activists: one woman said she was photographed in the restroom when she spoke out. Walmart workers are especially opposed to the new scheduling system. While originally put forth by the company to increase flexibility, workers say it has resulted in longer shifts and less overtime pay.
See "Across China, Walmart Faces Labor Unrest as Authorities Stand Aside", Javier C. Hernandez, The New York Times, November 17, 2016