BEIJING (AP) -- China's government-controlled union body is pressuring Wal-Mart to establish trade unions for thousands of its employees, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

The All-China Federation of Trade Unions says Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's biggest retailer, has not set up trade unions in any of its branches in China, leaving workers without protection of their legal rights, Xinhua said.

"The best way to protect workers' rights is to sign group contracts with employers through trade unions, which can protect workers' rights involving wage negotiation, vacations, and discharge regulations," Feng Lijun, a Beijing ACFTU official was quoted as saying Sunday by Xinhua.

Arkansas-based Wal-Mart opened its first outlet in Beijing in July, adding to its list of 22 other stores in the country.

Feng said the organization has contacted Wal-Mart several times since its Beijing stores opened but "no progress has been made in establishing trade unions." [...]

The All-China Federation of Trade Unions is the only group China's communist government allows to organize workers. Unions do exist, but they are controlled by the government, and those who start independent organizations are routinely arrested and sometimes given harsh sentences as a warning to others.