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Equality

Grocers Face $11 Billion in Equal Pay Claims After Asda Ruling

  • Tesco, Sainsbury’s face similar claims from female workers
  • Case now returns to tribunal to determine discrimination
A shopping basket on the conveyor belt of a check-out desk inside an Asda supermarket.

A shopping basket on the conveyor belt of a check-out desk inside an Asda supermarket.

Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg

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The U.K.’s biggest retailers face a potential 8 billion-pound ($11 billion) legal fight after Asda Group Ltd. lost a top court ruling in an ongoing equal pay dispute.

The U.K. Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the salaries earned by women who work in grocery stores could be compared to men who predominantly work in warehouses. The case will return to an employment tribunal, where a judge will determine whether the roles are of equal value and the wage discrepancy was a result of discrimination.