Supreme Court Blocks Tesco Appeal in Major Equal Pay Claim

The Supreme Court blocked Tesco from appealing a significant equal pay claim involving more than 16,000 shop workers. The dispute centers on allegations that Tesco underpays store workers, primarily women, compared to distribution centre workers, who are mostly men. The court rejected Tesco's application to overturn the Employment Tribunal's methodology for defining 'work' at the hearings.

The ruling means the equal pay case will proceed to trial under the established tribunal methodology. The potential value of the claims against Tesco is reported to be £4bn, placing regulatory and financial risk on the retailer and setting a precedent for other UK supermarkets, including Asda.