Advocates of Walmart employees express scepticism over raises

Fayetteville, Arkansas

LAST week, as part of the festivities that surrounded Walmart's annual shareholder meeting, Eye of the Tiger blasted through loudspeakers as employees entered an arena at the University of Arkansas. Hand-picked by their managers out of Walmart's workforce of more than one million, the employees arrived ready to cheer.

"I think we can sell another three million this year," Steve Bratspies, Walmart's chief marketing officer, said as he held up a round pillow with a yellow smiley face, a symbol Walmart has used to signal low prices and one of many emoji pillows it wants to sell. "Can you help me do that?"

Workers certainly have something to cheer about. Average hourly pay has gone up since Walmart announced early last year that it would increase wages to at least US$10 an hour for its army of part-time and full-time work…