Tesco workers bring age and gender discrimination claim

It’s the company that famously claims “every little helps.”

But retail giant Tesco is under fire from staff who claim they lost out on pay and were discriminated against because of their age and gender, according to The Guardian.

The 17 workers – who all joined the company before 1999 – are taking the company to court following a decision by the supermarket to cut pay rates for night, weekend, and bank holiday shift work. The legal firm acting for the employees, Leigh Day, believes a huge number Tesco staff could be affected, with most in their 40s.

Tesco introduced the wage cuts earlier in the year following negotiations with the shopworkers trade union, Usdaw. But while the retailer reduced the amount it pays for Sundays and bank holidays, it also increased wages by 3.1% to £7.62 per hour. Tesco claims this makes its hourly pay highly competitive, and one of the best in the sector. However, the employees who are bringing the claim say they have all seen benefits reduce.