Next shop workers win six-year battle for equal pay in landmark case

Shop workers at Next have won a six-year legal fight for equal pay in a landmark case that could force the retailer to pay more than £30m in compensation and bolster similar claims lodged against the big UK supermarkets.

- Kalyeena Makortoff

The employment tribunal ruling will benefit 3,540 claimants, who accused Next of paying its retail sales staff who are overwhelmingly female lower hourly wages than its warehouse workers, the majority of whom are male.

Next which has 466 stores across the UK had argued that the difference in pay for the two roles was based on the "market rate" for each position, and reflected the need to recruit and retain 24/7 staffing of warehouses, including for night shifts, Sundays and public holidays.

The retailer said pay levels had been set in a way to ensure the "viability" of the business.

The tribunal acknowledged that the decisions were driven by efforts to cut costs and boost profit. It also accepted that the discrepancy was not due to "direct discrimination" in relation to gender, saying "there was no conscious or subconscious gender influence in the way Next set pay rates".