Morrisons workers have made a major step forward in their equal pay case, following a judgment handed by the Employment Tribunal.

The latest judgement has seen the tribunal decide what tasks are included in the job description for shop and warehouse workers. The finalised job descriptions will now be used by independent experts to score the roles based on key factors such as experience, responsibility, and working conditions.

It marks the conclusion of the final Stage 2 Equal Value hearing, held at Leeds Employment Tribunal in late 2024.

A date for the Stage 3 Material Factors Defence hearing, which considers whether there would be justifiable reasons, not related to pay, for the pay differences, is listed to start in April 2026. However, a hearing for the third step of the equal value stage, where the tribunal will decide if the hourly-paid store roles are of equal value to the hourly-paid distribution centre roles, has not yet been listed.

It comes as the latest stage in Morrisons legal battle with over 7,520 workers, in which the supermarket chain’s predominantly female shopworkers argue they should be given equal pay, in line with its mainly male warehouse workers, who operate Morrisons’ distribution centres.

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Leigh Day partner and joint head of employment Emma Satyamurti said: “The latest judgment represents a critical step forward in the journey toward pay equality for Morrisons shop workers.

“It underscores the commitment of our clients to having their contributions properly valued, particularly when compared to their counterparts in distribution roles. Ensuring that the job descriptions are comprehensive and accurate is a pivotal part of the equal pay process.”

Satyamurti added: “Our clients can take great pride in achieving a favourable outcome on crucial aspects of the roles under scrutiny. This decision brings them one step closer to achieving the recognition and fairness they deserve for the vital work they do. We remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting them through every stage of this landmark case.”

The latest judgement comes as fellow supermarkets Asda, Co-op, Sainsbury’s and Tesco all face similar equal pay claims, set to impact over 101,747 employees in total.

The outcomes of the legal proceedings are thought to become landmark cases for the industry, and will potentially cost the supermarket’s billions of pounds, after clothing retailer Next was forced to shell out £30m after losing its own equal pay case last August.