Supreme court rules against Asda in workers’ equal pay case

The Guardian reports that Asda shop workers have won the latest stage in their fight for equal pay in a ruling that could lead to a £500m compensation claim. More than 44,000 shop workers say they should be paid the same as the predominantly male staff who work in the chain’s depots, and who receive a higher wage of £1.50-£3 an hour more than the shop workers.

The Guardian reports that Asda shop workers have won the latest stage in their fight for equal pay in a ruling that could lead to a £500m compensation claim. More than 44,000 shop workers say they should be paid the same as the predominantly male staff who work in the chain’s depots, and who receive a higher wage of £1.50-£3 an hour more than the shop workers.

The GMB union, which is backing the case, called the supreme court ruling a “massive victory”. The win is the first major stage of the long-running court battle that has implications for workers in all the major supermarkets. The supreme court backed the 2016 employment tribunal ruling, which was also previously upheld by the court of appeal in 2019.

The outcome of the landmark case – the biggest-ever equal pay claim in the UK private sector – will have repercussions for about 8,000 workers at other supermarkets, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Co-op and Morrisons, who are also engaged in equal pay disputes with their employers.

Unequal pay has been a big battleground in the public sector, with female cleaners and dinner ladies taking legal action over claims they were paid less than men who worked as refuse collectors or street cleaners.

Read more

Latest News

Read More

Why Now is Time to Build Sustainable Accessibility into Organisational Culture

30 May 2025

Newsletter

Receive the latest HR news and strategic content

Please note, as per the GDPR Legislation, we need to ensure you are ‘Opted In’ to receive updates from ‘theHRDIRECTOR’. We will NEVER sell, rent, share or give away your data to third parties. We only use it to send information about our products and updates within the HR space To see our Privacy Policy – click here

Latest HR Jobs

Brunel University London – Directorate of Human Resources – Human ResourcesSalary: Commensurate with experience This provides summary information and comment on the subject areas covered.

University of Salford – Human ResourcesSalary: £28,381 to £31,637 per annum This provides summary information and comment on the subject areas covered. Where employment tribunal

THE BRAND The Longchamp Maison is a Parisian independent house founded in 1948. Still family owned and managed to this day, the Maison is present

HR Director UK & Ireland (Hybrid | London-based). The opportunity to influence and shape HR strategy at a regional level. Leading and executing the local

Read the latest digital issue of theHRDIRECTOR for FREE

Read the latest digital issue of theHRDIRECTOR for FREE