BENTONVILLE (dpa-AFX) - Earlier this week, retail giant Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) temporarily closed five stores and laid off 2,200 workers, citing an unusual reason - 'recurring plumbing problems.'
Of the five stores that were closed, two are in Texas, while the remaining three are in California, Florida and Oklahoma. Wal-Mart said these stores apparently have plumbing issues that require extensive repairs, which will take about six months to complete.
The five stores closed at 7 p.m. on Monday. While the store closures are temporary, the layoffs are said to be permanent. The decision to lay off stunned the workers, who were informed just hours before that they will lose their jobs.
The laid off employees, which include both full-time and part-time workers, will be put on paid leave for two months, during which period they can try to transfer to another Walmart store or find a new job. Full-time employees who are unable to get another Walmart job by June 19 may be eligible for severance.
But employees at the Pico Rivera store in California believe their store is being closed as they protested for higher pay last Black Friday. The workers there had also led one of the first Black Friday protests in 2012.
However, Wal-Mart said that the decision to close the stores was only due to ongoing plumbing issues and that these five stores had the most plumbing problems over the past two years.
Meanwhile, Wal-Mart has reportedly not yet applied for any plumbing permits, which may be required for major work, for any of the five locations. The company said it does not actually know what kind of repairs are needed yet, or the full extent of the work that needs to be done.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX