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Tesco faces legal action from staff in pay dispute | Tesco faces legal action from staff in pay dispute |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Tesco is facing legal action from staff who say they lost out on pay for working anti-social hours. | Tesco is facing legal action from staff who say they lost out on pay for working anti-social hours. |
The complaint is from 17 workers who are "extremely unhappy" at seeing their pay rates change for weekends, bank holidays and night shifts. | The complaint is from 17 workers who are "extremely unhappy" at seeing their pay rates change for weekends, bank holidays and night shifts. |
Leigh Day, the law firm acting for the workers, estimated thousands of long-term Tesco staff, mainly in their 40s, could be affected. | Leigh Day, the law firm acting for the workers, estimated thousands of long-term Tesco staff, mainly in their 40s, could be affected. |
Tesco said workers would receive a "transition payment" for the changes. | Tesco said workers would receive a "transition payment" for the changes. |
The employees have started the process towards making a claim in an employment tribunal, according to Leigh Day. | The employees have started the process towards making a claim in an employment tribunal, according to Leigh Day. |
Pay changes announced by Tesco in February included an hourly wage rise, but also cuts to the rates paid to some Sunday and bank holiday staff. | Pay changes announced by Tesco in February included an hourly wage rise, but also cuts to the rates paid to some Sunday and bank holiday staff. |
Under the changes, staff would receive time and a half for Sunday and bank holiday shifts from July, whereas previously some had received double time. | Under the changes, staff would receive time and a half for Sunday and bank holiday shifts from July, whereas previously some had received double time. |
A Tesco spokesperson said: "The minority of colleagues who were negatively impacted by this change were supported with an agreed lump sum transition payment." | A Tesco spokesperson said: "The minority of colleagues who were negatively impacted by this change were supported with an agreed lump sum transition payment." |
'Hurt, bewildered, frightened' | |
Paula Lee from Leigh Day said its clients, who have worked for Tesco for at least 16 years, felt "their loyalty was being taken advantage of". | Paula Lee from Leigh Day said its clients, who have worked for Tesco for at least 16 years, felt "their loyalty was being taken advantage of". |
She said: "Our clients are extremely unhappy that they have had their wages reduced in this way. | She said: "Our clients are extremely unhappy that they have had their wages reduced in this way. |
"These long-serving employees are especially angry that they only found out about the decision when news was leaked to the national press in January 2016. | "These long-serving employees are especially angry that they only found out about the decision when news was leaked to the national press in January 2016. |
"They feel hurt, bewildered and frightened that this could happen again." | "They feel hurt, bewildered and frightened that this could happen again." |
The law firm claims a night premium was also scrapped. | The law firm claims a night premium was also scrapped. |
Last Friday, workers at another supermarket, Asda, won a step forward in their battle for equal pay in a case where Leigh Day also acted for staff. | |
Manchester Employment Tribunal ruled that the women, who mainly work at check-outs or stacking shelves, can compare themselves to higher-paid men who work at warehouses. | |
The ruling means that test cases will now be brought. | |
However, Asda said it "continued to strongly dispute the claims". It said the tribunal's decision was a "technical" issue and did not "determine the eventual outcome of the case". |