Retailer Wal-Mart has launched a US advertising campaign, which aims to ‘set the record straight’ on issues such as its business and employment practices.
The world’s largest retailer, which is often criticised for the way it treats staff, is currently battling a high-profile gender bias lawsuit in the US.
About 1.6 million current and former female employees claim the firm paid them less than their male colleagues. They also allege that they were passed over for promotion in favour of male employees.
In a full-page ad published in more than 100 newspapers across the US, Wal-Mart chief executive Lee Scott said it was time for the public to hear the “unfiltered truth” about Wal-Mart, which has 1.2m US employees.
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Scott said: “We understand that, as one of the most visible corporations in the world, we will be a target for criticism. When it is valid, we try to learn from it and become a better company.
“But we have made a commitment to our associates, customers and suppliers that when false allegations are made about Wal-Mart, we will actively correct the record. That’s what this day is all about.”
