Workers from supermarket Asda today (9) held demonstrations to mark the start of an equal pay claim involving more than 60,000 staff.
In Manchester, dozens of Asda workers demonstrated outside the Civil Justice Centre, where the case began this morning. In Brighton, Asda staff protested at the TUC congress, where delegates debated GMB’s motion on equal pay for Asda workers.
The case, expected to last three months, centres on the fact the predominantly female retail workforce is paid up to £3.74 per hour less than the predominantly male warehouse workforce.
The GMB has described the case as the biggest ever in the private sector, with the tribunal hearing expected to last three months. Those behind the claim, brought forward by law firm Leigh Day, argue that retail work is of equal value to the company as warehouse work.
A spokesman for the law firm said if the claim was successful staff in the underpaid roles would be able to claim six years' worth of back pay as compensation. It is the second stage of a long-running case which began in 2014.
Nadine Houghton, GMB National Officer, said, “Asda workers are making history. The result of this hearing will call time on the retailers undervaluing their predominantly women shop floor workers.
“The entire retail sector has been built on the structural undervaluing of women's work - but GMB members are changing this. When the court finds shop floor work is of equal value to warehouse work it will be time for ASDA’s majority owners – TDR Capital – to get round the table and begin settlement talks to resolve the sex discrimination in ASDA’s pay structure.
“The new owners have loaded billions of pounds of debt on to ASDA’s balance sheet – yet last year they reported a pre-tax profit of 180 million pounds. TDR Capital was founded by now billionaire, Manjit Dale – there is enough money to pay these women what they are owed.”
Lauren Lougheed, Leigh Day partner, said, “The equal pay team at Leigh Day is very encouraged by the huge success we experienced just last week on behalf of the many thousands of women we represent who have been fighting for equal pay at Next.
“We hope we will also be successful in the parallel claim we are bringing on behalf of more than 60,000 clients against Asda. If we win at this Stage 3 hearing, Asda will then have to prove that there is a genuine reason for the pay difference between store workers and warehouse workers which is not based on sex.
“Next bosses failed to do this and our clients won. We are confident that the same will be true in the Asda claim.”
Asda said it respected the right of staff to bring the case but "strongly rejects" claims that pay rates are influenced by gender.
A spokeswoman from Asda said there was a range of different job roles working in retail and warehouse positions.
"We continue to defend these claims because retail and distribution are two different industry sectors that have their own distinct skill sets and pay structures," she added.
