Hearing takes place into Tesco equal pay claim

Tesco Action Group claims Tesco paid its store workers, who are predominantly women, up to £3 an hour less than warehouse and distribution centre workers, who are mainly men.

Related: Tesco staff from Wigan could be entitled to equal pay claimIt says the firm breached its duty under section 66 of the Equality Act 2010 to pay them equally in comparison to men employed in comparable roles.

A private hearing was held at Watford Employment Tribunal yesterday so administrative matters could be resolved.

Tesco Action Group was represented by law firm Harcus Sinclair UK Ltd, which is working alongside campaigning group Pay Justice.

More than 8,000 workers have signed up to pursue claims, including dozens from Wigan.

The group is made up of current and former workers.

Christine Sepahi, who worked for Tesco for more than 25 years and chairs the Tesco Action Group committee, said: “We all know that this will be a long journey but we are pleased and relieved that the process is developing. We have been delighted by the response from past and present Tesco workers to our campaign, but the more who join us the greater the impact will be. There is no place in today’s society for the unequal treatment of men and women.”

Tesco has previously told the Post it has “strong factual and legal defences to the claims being made” and staff “are paid fairly and equally for the jobs they do”.