Co-op shop floor workers win legal argument in equal pay fight

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Over 1,600 shop floor workers at the Co-op have won a key legal argument in a battle to secure an equal pay with warehouse staff.

The mostly female Co-op workers took action against the symbol group over complaints that they are being paid less than colleagues in the retailer’s distribution centres.

As a result, shop-workers demanded they should be receiving similar pay to their male counterparts, who were being paid up to £3 more an hour.

The Co-op has now agreed a “comparability concession” in the case, a step towards recognising the different roles are of equal value, however, it said its workers were paid “fairly” and the battle was far from over.

READ MORE: Ethical spending hits ‘record highs’, Co-op reveals

The news comes as similar equal pay battles at rival supermarkets were launched at competing grocers Asda, Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s.

“Leigh Day is delighted to be able to tell Co-op staff that they have cleared the first hurdle in their claims for equal pay,” Leigh Day solicitor, Tom Hewitt, who is representing the worker said.

“We hope that Co-op recognises that they can no longer deny that the work store workers do is of equal value to that of their distribution centre colleagues.”

A Co-op spokesperson added: “Our colleagues play an important role in feeding the nation and it’s central to the Co-op’s values that we pay them fairly for the work that they do in supporting communities.

“We believe that we pay our colleagues fairly for the roles that they do, and so will continue to defend these claims.”

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1 Comment. Leave new

  • Tracy Newbery
    April 4, 2022 12:34 pm

    I worked for southern coop for 7 years officially left in october 2020 due to a cancer diagnosis in february 2020 not fit to return to work would i be entitled to this extra pay thing thats going on

    Reply

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