Reply to: Asda Screwed Over Equal Pay

[Paddy]

It was cheaper for Walmart to settle then drag it to the Supreme Court.

Two lots of legal fees plus the payout.

Supreme Court cases don't work that way. The procedures are different to the lower courts. The job of the Supreme Court is to clarify the law in cases that have a public interest and are important for clarification.

Judgment here...

https://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKSC/2021/10.html

[vetran]

Blame the management.

Oh and supermarket delivery drivers count as supermarket.

They don't they are mainly agency. Which is what will happen to all the higher paid staff, expect Asda staffing agency ltd t be formed.

[LondonManc]

Blame the management.

Oh and supermarket delivery drivers count as supermarket.

Whoooosh. The lads collected trolleys, went on the tills, worked on the cold store, stacked shelves. The girls worked on the tills, stacked shelves. Same pay for being less versatile?

Supermarket delivery drivers - to or from? You mean the home delivery people? Instantly should be on more because they're more qualified and face more risk.
To the supermarket? Need a HGV licence so will definitely be on more. Either that or we put everyone in a job on £70k a year including top execs and treat all jobs as contributing to society.

[SueEllen]

No, despite working there for a few years, I had no idea. You are aware that's probably the stupidest question you've ever asked?

By the way, it was never the girls sent out to collect the trolleys from the car park in the pouring rain or into the frozen store to get the stock to put in the frozen aisle. In today's society, it could be construed as sexist, but I bet it still wouldn't be.

Blame the management.

Oh and supermarket delivery drivers count as supermarket.

[LondonManc]

You are aware in most supermarkets staff do more than just man the checkouts? How do you think the shelves get filled?

No, despite working there for a few years, I had no idea. You are aware that's probably the stupidest question you've ever asked?

By the way, it was never the girls sent out to collect the trolleys from the car park in the pouring rain or into the frozen store to get the stock to put in the frozen aisle. In today's society, it could be construed as sexist, but I bet it still wouldn't be.

[SueEllen]

I'd doff my cap to Asda if they respond by dropping the wages of the warehouse workers. That would fix it.

It wouldn't as they are still liable for years of back pay.

Councils in Scotland and England found they were liable for years of back pay when they lost equal pay actions. In their cases it was jobs like social care workers being equal to binmen.

[northernladuk]

I'd doff my cap to Asda if they respond by dropping the wages of the warehouse workers. That would fix it.

[NotAllThere]

I've worked in both environments and the judge hasn't a clue.

Quick, get onto Asda's lawyers. I'm sure they could use the benefit of your wisdom and knowledge to get this overturned.

[Paralytic]

What point? Surely they should put the warehouse guys on the tills if that's the case.

Yes, they would. Well done on the critical thinking.

[SueEllen]

So are checkout workers.

Just need machines for stock delivery and stock replenishment....

[d000hg]

The latter is being replaced with machines.

So are checkout workers.

[SueEllen]

You don't get paid based on how hard you have to work. In fact physically gruelling jobs pay less.
Someone running a forklift is a skilled worker, etc, but just lugging stuff about on pallet loaders all day is just labouring.

The latter is being replaced with machines.

[d000hg]

I've worked in both environments and the judge hasn't a clue. Sitting at a till scanning/weighing products and having a polite chat with the customers was far easier and less dangerous than manhandling boxes and pallets in a warehouse. That's without considering the FLT/reach truck qualifications required for those workers, which add value. Clueless, unless the judge wants to drop down to the salary of the court clerk because they're all part of the same production line? Didn't think so.

You don't get paid based on how hard you have to work. In fact physically gruelling jobs pay less.
Someone running a forklift is a skilled worker, etc, but just lugging stuff about on pallet loaders all day is just labouring.

[SueEllen]

If Asda wanted to go ballistic, they could simply merge the front line and distribution centre roles into a single role, and then deploy the current front line staff to the distribution centre (after training).

It'd cost them hugely (in bad PR, people resigning, impact to business, efficiency of processes etc) but would, I suspect, prove a point.

I suspect they would be pleasantly surprised.

Was listening to a phone in and women phoned in who had done both types of work. At the moment due to Covid the preference is not to work anywhere near the public.

[d000hg]

If Asda wanted to go ballistic, they could simply merge the front line and distribution centre roles into a single role, and then deploy the current front line staff to the distribution centre (after training).

It'd cost them hugely (in bad PR, people resigning, impact to business, efficiency of processes etc) but would, I suspect, prove a point.

What point? Surely they should put the warehouse guys on the tills if that's the case.