Four female shopfloor workers have more than threated Sainsbury‘s with legal action, claiming that they are paid less than men to do equally valuable jobs at the supermarket chain.
The case resonates with one Asda faced towards the end of last year and still hasn‘t settled.
According to The Guardian, law firm Leigh Day, which is leading both cases, said it believed the Sainsbury‘s action could be joined by thousands more female shopfloor staff.
The women from Sainsbury‘s, three working in the Shrewsbury area and one in Fareham, Hampshire, were among nearly 20,000 people who contacted Leigh Day after reading about the Asda case.
Both cases are being determined by the answer to a controversial question: Are supermarket shopfloor jobs, which are mostly held by female workers, of equal value to higher-paid jobs in male-dominated distribution centres?
If the Sainsbury‘s workers win, it is likely they will be compensated with six years‘ back pay for the difference in earnings.
The Big Four grocer said: “We are aware of a very small number of claims in this case. We pride ourselves on being a fair employer and do not recognise discrimination of any kind in our business.”
