Mexico City, Mexico — Walmart de México clarified that older adults who work as packers in their stores are not their employees, but are part of a signed agreement with the National Institute of Older Adults (INAPAM).
They say that the body el Instituto Nacional de las Personas Adultas Mayores (INAPAM) are the ones responsible for overseeing their working conditions.
The address comes from Walmart de México after labor accusations by employees and a request by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who asked the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare to review the working conditions of adults who work as bag packers.
In a press conference, Gabriela Buenrostro, deputy director of Corporate Communication at Walmart in Mexico explained “Older adults who work in our units are part of a volunteer seniors program. We signed an agreement with INAPM, so it is them who is in charge.”
“They are not employees of Walmart. They are part of an INAPAM program which seeks and sees that people between 60 and 65, who are retired, can have an additional income in our stores,” Buenrostro added.
She commented that the packers have health insurance as regulated by el Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) or el Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado (ISSSTE).
López Obrador commented that “The Ministry of Labor is going to intervene because all human beings have the right to a fair salary, which is a right enshrined in the Constitution.”