Sainsbury's face equal pay battle with female workers

Sainsbury’s is facing legal action over claims that female shop floor workers earn less than their male counterparts.

The four female employees preliminary employment tribunal will start today in Birmingham. Last year thousands of workers initiated similar legal action against Asda.

Leigh Day, the law firm who is handling both cases, said that the quartet’s claim could be accompanied by thousands more of a similar nature in the near future.

Michael Newman, a discrimination and employment law expert at the firm, said: “This is an important case, given the amount of time equal pay legislation has been in force and the gender pay gap still exists. Sainsbury’s had a judgment against them in the 1980s and they appear not to have learned from that.