Morrisons has entered a decisive phase in its ongoing equal pay tribunal process.
The supermarket chain Morrisons is undergoing the final hearing of the second stage in its equal pay case, scrutinising the pay disparities between predominantly female store roles and male-dominated warehouse positions. The Employment Tribunal is tasked with examining four store roles—customer assistant in the café, petrol, and deli sections, along with the checkout team leader role—against a warehouse role known as the Logistics Key Operative.
Initially launched by the GMB union in November 2018, the claim argues that Morrisons pays its female retail workforce less than their male counterparts in warehouse roles. Represented by Leigh Day law firm, the case represents over 7,520 workers. This latest hearing aims to resolve disagreements on the factual content of the specified roles, a crucial step before determining if these jobs are of equal value, marking the transition to the final stage of the proceedings.
Emma Satyamurti, partner at Leigh Day, emphasised the importance of these findings, stating that the outcome will provide the tribunal with a basis for assessing whether the store roles are as challenging as the warehouse duties. The tribunal previously ruled in favour of shop workers in the first stage, concluding that their roles could be compared for equal value purposes.
The Morrisons case is not isolated, as similar legal challenges have emerged involving major retailers like Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and the Co-op, collectively representing over 112,000 supermarket employees. Asda, for instance, has advanced to its third hearing stage to examine whether pay differences are justifiable by factors beyond gender, such as location, working hours, and experience.
The potential financial implications for Morrisons are significant, as demonstrated by ongoing claims against Tesco, estimated at £4 billion, and Asda, where the union claims back pay could exceed £2 billion. Recently, Next was required to pay over £30 million after the tribunal found unjustified pay differences between its sales consultants and warehouse staff.
Morrisons’ involvement in the equal pay tribunal reflects a broader industry issue, with significant implications for retailers and employees alike.
