Morrisons staff to pocket £100m in pay dispute

Supermarket chain Morrisons is caught up in an equal pay row, with thousands of workers in line to pocket £100m in extra pay.

It comes after a new ruling at a pay tribunal, which highlighted claims that mostly women employees on the shop floor were paid less compared to their male colleagues who work in the firm’s warehouses.

During the tribunal, judge Davies shared that Morrisons workers based on the shop floor can compare their pay with staff in distribution centres, reported the Mirror.

Solicitors representing the employees will now argue that both roles – shop floor and distribution – are of equal value.

If it proves successful, the supermarket will be forced to explain why the two roles should be paid differently, barring sex discrimination.

Despite this, a spokesperson for Morrisons stated: “The decision does not decide if retail and logistics roles are of equal value. Morrisons pays a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work and will continue to fully defend these proceedings.”

An employee at the firm added: “It feels like we’re closer to getting the recognition we deserve.”

Sick pay row

This isn’t the first time Morrisons has been caught up in a pay row, as earlier this month it announced that the supermarket would cut sick pay for unvaccinated employees who may need to self-isolate.

The move was made to help limit the “biblical costs” of the pandemic.

David Potts, chief executive of the business, previously said: “71% of folk already have [had the vaccine] and we are all in this together.”

While the pay row is ongoing at the firm, Morrisons recently shared that it would be rewarding its staff for their hard work over the pandemic by giving them Boxing Day off.

A spokesperson said: “Everyone at Morrisons has worked incredibly hard over the last 18 months as we’ve responded to the unprecedented challenges of a global pandemic, serving our customers and local communities.

“So this year we’re taking the exceptional step of closing all our supermarkets on Boxing Day, so as many colleagues as possible can enjoy a two day weekend break with family and friends.”

Listen to the latest Friends in Benefits podcast episode here, to find out why Jerome Williams, ED&I lead at Sovereign Housing Association, believes pay gap reporting can help make a difference in boosting equality.