Walmart workers announce Black Friday protest locations

Reuters
Walmart workers and their supporters in Miami protest during Global Day for Decent Work at Walmart, just before the delivery of petitions from Walmart employees, outside the Walmart Latin American Headquarters in Doral, Florida November 19, 2014. REUTERS/Andrew Innerarity

(Reuters) - A pressure group pushing for higher wages at Walmart stores said employees would stage protests at 1,600 U.S. stores on Black Friday, including 60 in Washington.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc, owner of Walmart stores and the largest private employer in the United States, has been at the center of the debate over proposals to raise the minimum wage.

The group, which represents Walmart's hourly workers, is pushing for a $15 per hour wage and consistent full-time work.

The protests would mark the "biggest Black Friday strike to date," a spokeswoman for OUR Walmart said on a conference call.

A Wal-Mart spokesman said "a very small fraction" of employees would participate. The company offers "very competitive wages" and most employees are full-time, he said.

A full list of stores that the group said would be affected was posted at http://blackfridayprotests.org.

(This version of the story corrects paragraph 1 to say 60 protests will be held in Washington state, not Washington, D.C.)

(Reporting by Sruthi Ramakrishnan and Ramkumar Iyer in Bangalore; Editing by Savio D'Souza and Joyjeet Das)