TESCO is back in a courtroom this week seeking to overturn a legal decision ahead of a final trial over allegations of unequal pay at the supermarket giant.
Tesco, one of several UK supermarkets caught in the row, is facing a substantial lawsuit over allegations that it has been underpaying its female staff.
The case, launched in 2018 by law firms Harcus Parker and Leigh Day, now involves approximately 49,000 employees of the retailer and is reported to be worth a potential £4bn.
The case has been heard in several Employment Tribunal (ET) hearings, but none of the allegations have been determined. In a preliminary hearing at the start of the year, the ET allowed the case to proceed with a defence hearing this year. In that hearing, Tesco also applied to introduce expert evidence from economists to support its claim that market forces influenced pay rates, but the ET rejected that request.
As a result, Tesco appealed to the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT), which upheld the ET ruling. The supermarket giant went on to apply to the Court of Appeal. The parties will appear before the justices today for a one-day hearing on the matter.
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