Thousands of Next staff win equal pay battle

Following a six-year legal battle, thousands of Next employees have won the right for equal pay and are therefore in line to receive what could be thousands of pounds in compensation.

Over 3,500 current and former staff of the British retailer are among the claimants to receive owed back-pay that reportedly amounts to more than 30 million pounds, the BBC reported.

An employment tribunal said those that came forward, which were predominantly women, should not have been paid at lower rates than employees in warehouses, largely men.

Next, however, said that it would appeal against the ruling after its argument that pay rates for warehouse workers were higher than for retail workers in the wider labour market was rejected by the tribunal.

In a statement to the media outlet, the retailer said: "This is the first equal pay group action in the private sector to reach a decision at tribunal level and raises a number of important points of legal principle."

It further noted that the tribunal found “there was no conscious or subconscious gender influence in the way Next set pay rates".

Elizabeth George, barrister and partner at the law firm Leigh Day, which represented the employees, stated: "[The tribunal] rightly found that Next could have afforded to pay a higher rate but chose not to and that the reason for that was purely financial."