As Wal-Mart eyes South African retailer Massmart, the Congress of South African Trade Unions says that they are not happy about the idea. Cosatu said that they will oppose any Wal-Mart stores because they are anti-worker rights and unions. Wal-Mart has come under criticism for its anti-union policies from unions in the United States as well, including the AFL-CIO. Wal-Mart released a statement saying that they try " to save people money so that they can live better lives," and that buying Massmart will help them do that. Analysts say that for the Massmart deal to be profitable for Wal-Mart they need to keep labor costs low, making prospects for unionization slim.
See "South African Union Challenges Wal-Mart", Heather Struck, Forbes.com, September 27, 2010