Shareholders of Massmart, one of South Africa's largest retailers, voted nearly unanimously to move forward on a proposed deal in which retail giant Walmart would gain a controlling interest in the company. Union leaders had vowed to boycott Walmart if the deal passed, citing the allegations of questionable labor practices that have dogged the retail giant for years. In response, representatives of Walmart vowed to honor all labor agreements with Massmart, as well as keeping its existing management intact.
See "Massmart Holders Approve Wal-Mart Takeover", Robb Stewart, The Wall Street Journal, January 17, 2011