Morrisons is progressing through critical phases of its equal pay claim, facing scrutiny over pay equality between store and warehouse roles.
- The Employment Tribunal’s current focus is determining the responsibilities of specific store roles against a warehouse role.
- Morrisons is represented by Leigh Day in this legal challenge initiated by GMB union, impacting 7,520 workers.
- The outcome could significantly influence Morrisons’ future proceedings, with a potential shift in pay structures.
- Parallel cases in other retailers highlight the broader implications of this tribunal’s decisions on the industry.
Morrisons has entered a decisive hearing in its ongoing equal pay case, which questions whether female-dominated store roles are compensated less than male-dominated warehouse roles. The current stage involves the Employment Tribunal examining the job responsibilities of four store roles in contrast to a single warehouse position. These roles include customer assistant posts at the cafe, petrol, and deli sections, alongside the checkout team leader, compared to the Logistics Key Operative in warehouses.
The inability of Morrisons and the GMB union to reach an agreement on job equivalency necessitates this tribunal examination. Emma Satyamurti from Leigh Day emphasizes that this phase will lay the groundwork for judging if the claimants’ roles equate in demand to those held by male warehouse workers.
This legal action was initially triggered in 2018, with the GMB union bringing forward claims on behalf of over 7,520 employees. The tribunal will determine if these roles are of equal value, marking a pivotal moment before the final stage of Morrisons’ equal pay process. A previous tribunal decision in September 2021 ruled that store roles could indeed be compared to warehouse positions in terms of equal value.
The significance of this tribunal extends beyond Morrisons. Similar challenges are underway in other major retailers like Asda, which is progressing in its third stage of hearings to ascertain non-gender-related justifications for pay discrepancies. These include factors such as geographic location and length of service.
Historically, other retailers like Tesco and Next have faced substantial financial consequences following tribunal rulings on equal pay, setting a precedent that could potentially affect Morrisons as well. Leigh Day has previously instigated a £4 billion claim against Tesco, while Next issued over £30 million in back pay after losing its case.
The tribunal’s decision will be crucial in shaping the retail sector’s approach to pay equality.
