º£½ÇÊÓÆµ

Oops.

Our website is temporarily unavailable in your location.

We are working hard to get it back online.

PRIVACY
Retail & Consumer

Asda equal pay dispute advances as º£½ÇÊÓÆµ supermarkets look on nervously

The case alleges that store workers, most of whom are women, are on lower hourly pay rates than staff in Asda warehouses, which is male dominated

(Image: Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The equal pay dispute involving Asda workers has been given the green light to proceed to its final legal stage, following an employment tribunal's ruling that store worker roles are of equal value to those in distribution centres.

The case argues that store workers, predominantly women, receive lower hourly pay rates than their counterparts in Asda warehouses, a sector largely dominated by men, as reported by .

The Tribunal ruled in favour of 12 out of 14 women serving as 'lead claimants' for various store roles, establishing that they hold equal value with some of the lead male comparators.

However, two were struck off, failing to meet the Tribunal's threshold, representing 20 per cent (11,000) of all claimants in the Asda dispute.

Law firm Leigh Day, representing the women, expressed disappointment that the two claimants - a personal shopper and shop floor assistant – edible grocery, were deemed not to be of equal value.

The firm stated they "are carefully considering this part of the judgment and will be exploring all available options, including the possibility of an appeal."

Asda employs over 127,000 shop floor workers across its more than 1,200 stores in the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ.

In a similar case last August, fashion retailer Next lost a significant legal battle, resulting in an estimated £30m bill, although the retailer is seeking to appeal the decision.