Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer and a bellwether for the industry, was sentenced on Friday to pay at least 78 million dollars for violating Pennsylvania state labor laws.

The class-action suit involves 187,000 current and former employees who worked at Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs in Pennsylvania from March 1998 through May of this year.

The jury found Thursday that Wal-Mart violated state labor laws by forcing employees to work through rest breaks and off the clock.

But Wal-Mart attorney Neil S. Manne argued the sentence was unfair, saying the company will appeal against the ruling.

"It will be a very broad ranging appeal," said Manne.

Source: Xinhua