Wal-Mart employees at the company's Xuanwumen store in Beijing have organized a trade union, the first for the company in China's capital. Seventy-three employees have already joined the union.

The Beijing Federation of Trade Unions says it appreciates the opening of the Wal-Mart trade union and regards it as a breakthrough for foreign companies setting up trade unions in China.

BFTU says the establishment of the first Wal-Mart trade union in Beijing will bring a profound impact to the setup of trade unions by other foreign companies in Beijing.

Wal-Mart made commitments on August 9 that it would help China's union authority establish branches in all its stores across the country. More than 15 trade unions have since been set up in the cities of Shenzhen, Nanjing, Jinan, Fuzhou, Shenyang, Dalian and Nanchang.