Tens of Thousands Set for Potential £1.2bn Payout After Tribunal Victory
- Asda workers on the verge of receiving payouts after a landmark equal pay ruling
- Manchester Employment Tribunal rules that shop floor roles are of equal value to warehouse positions
- Lawyers hope for substantial compensation up to £1.2bn for over 60,000 workers
- GMB Union calls on Asda to settle the case without further legal proceedings
Tens of thousands of Asda workers, predominantly women, are on the brink of receiving historic payouts following a landmark ruling in the supermarket’s ongoing equal pay case. A recent decision by the Manchester Employment Tribunal has concluded that many roles typically held by women – including checkout assistants, customer service representatives, and shop floor assistants – are of ‘equal value’ to the better-paid warehouse positions, largely staffed by men. The Tribunal compared 14 shop floor roles at the supermarket with 17 higher-paid warehouse positions and ruled that 12 of the shopfloor jobs were of equal value to at least some of the warehouse roles. However, the Tribunal did not find two positions – personal shopper and shop floor assistant (edible grocery) – to be of equal value during the period between August 2008 and June 2014, which has been considered a setback by legal representatives. Lawyers at Leigh Day, representing more than 60,000 workers, are hopeful that the claim could result in substantial compensation, potentially amounting to as much as £1.2bn. With Asda employing over 127,000 shop floor workers across its 1,200 UK stores, the number of current and former employees joining the legal claim is steadily rising. Leigh Day partner Lauren Lougheed said: ’This is a significant step for the thousands of Asda store workers who have established equal value. ’Our clients have fought for over ten years to achieve recognition of the value of their work and I am so pleased for them.’ GMB Union, which represents the workers alongside Leigh Day, described the employees as ‘on the cusp of equal pay justice’. GMB Union national officer Nadine Houghton said: ’This is a historic step towards securing equal pay justice for tens of thousands of Asda workers, but it is tainted with bitter disappointment for those who now face an appeal. ’GMB now calls on Asda to stop wasting time and money dragging this case through the courts and get round the table with us to agree a settlement.’ An Asda spokesperson said: ’We strongly reject any claim that Asda’s pay rates are discriminatory.’
Factuality Level: 8
Factuality Justification: The article provides accurate and objective information about the Manchester Employment Tribunal’s ruling in favor of Asda workers seeking equal pay. It reports on the comparison between shop floor roles and warehouse positions, the potential compensation amount, and the reactions from legal representatives and unions. However, it includes a brief mention of Pepco and its Capital Markets day which may be considered tangential to the main topic.
Noise Level: 3
Noise Justification: The article provides relevant information about a significant legal ruling in favor of Asda workers seeking equal pay and includes quotes from the involved parties. However, it contains some irrelevant information at the end about Pepco’s plan for Poundland, which is unrelated to the main topic.
Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: Yes
Financial Rating Justification: The article discusses a landmark ruling in favor of Asda workers in an equal pay case, which could potentially result in substantial compensation for over 60,000 employees. This has financial implications for the company and may impact its financial position. The case is related to the supermarket industry and could have wider implications for gender pay equality in other companies as well.
Presence Of Extreme Event: No
Nature Of Extreme Event: No
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: No
Extreme Rating Justification: There is no extreme event in the text and it does not meet the criteria for an extreme event as it discusses a legal case regarding equal pay for Asda workers.
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