Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC (LON:MRW) is facing equal pay claims worth over £1bn, according to law firm Leigh Day, which is seeking compensation for women who believe they were paid less than men in the group’s distribution centres.
In a statement published on its website on Tuesday, Leigh Day said that Morrisons had around 80,000 store staff eligible to claim, which could result in a bill for back pay of over £1bn if the retailer's action is found to be unlawful.
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The law firm, which is already working on claims on behalf of workers at the other big three UK supermarket chains, said in February that Tesco PLC (LON:TSCO) was facing a potential bill of up to £4bn in an equal pay claim involving women working at its British stores.
Emma Satyamurti, a partner in Leigh Day, said in the statement: "We believe that Morrisons, as with the other major supermarkets, has underpaid those working in its stores for a number of years.
“The big four supermarkets in the UK make vast amounts each year in profits - it is time that they faced up to their legal obligations under Equal Pay legislation."
Leigh Day also said it believed employees working in male-dominated distribution centres were paid considerably more than largely female-staffed stores.
A representative for Morrisons told Reuters that the firm – which releases its interim results on Thursday - was not aware of any court proceedings issued by a third party.