TENS of thousands of Asda workers could be set for a combined £1.2billion in back pay after the chain lost a crucial ruling in its long- running equal wage dispute. It has been battling claims since 2014 that its mostly female shop staff have been paid less than its warehouse employees, who are mostly men. An employment tribunal in Manchester yesterday ruled most shop workers in the case have “equal value to higher-paid positions” in Asda’s warehouses.

Unions suggest it could pave the way for staff to receive around six years of back pay — around £20,000 each on average — which could cost Asda up to £1.2billion. Around 60,000 workers joined the class action. However, the tribunal yesterday ruled out two job roles — personal shopper and edible grocery — which represented 11,000 of the claimants. But it means Asda is still on the hook for 49,000 claims from staff who have now won two out of the three stages of their equal pay claim, according to a statement by law firm Leigh Day.

It called it the biggest ever private sector equal pay claim. It is now up to Asda to prove to the tribunal there is a “material factor” why its warehouse staff earn more than shop workers, unrelated to gender. Asda will likely argue that market forces — such as huge competition for warehouse workers amid the shift to online shopping — has driven up wages higher. The battle is likely to drag on to 2026 or 2027.

An Asda spokesman said: “We strongly reject any claim that Asda’s pay rates are discriminatory.”. Walmart, which has a 10 per cent stake, has an indemnity to cover the cost of claims “up to a contractually agreed amount”. It was put in place when the US retail giant was trying to sell Asda to private equity. Last October, 3,540 Next staff won a similar six-year legal battle for equal pay but the retailer is appealing against the decision.

Leigh Day is also bringing similar cases against Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and the Co-Op. SPANISH fashion brand Mango is placing its bets on Britain — with plans to open 20 more stores this year. The firm has said that the UK is a “priority market” for its growth, with six of the new shops to be in London — including a flagship outlet in Oxford Street. The company, which already has 70 stores in the country, last year worked on a fashion collaboration with Victoria Beckham.

SHARES in tool firm Speedy Hire tumbled by over a quarter to an all-time low yesterday after a profit warning. The company issued a trading update to say that a “widely reported economic downturn” had killed off momentum in the business as the majority of customers delayed new orders. The firm also blamed a delay in National Rail projects, which it said “had an impact on trading, but remains a significant opportunity for the group next year”.

It added it will “manage our cost base and balance our investment decisions in response to the current economic climate”. Speedy Hire feels it should benefit from the Government’s promise of spending on infrastructure projects, but in the short term it expects profits to be below forecasts. Its shares closed down 7.82p, or 28.44 per cent, to 19.68p, valuing it at £90.8million. TWO of the UK’s biggest banks apologised after being hit by a major IT outage yesterday.

Lloyds Bank and Halifax customers could not access online accounts and were unable to receive payments. Last week Lloyds unveiled plans to shut 136 branches amid its shift to online banking. A “technology issue” hit Barclays on Friday and carried on into the weekend, leaving many unable to access funds or make payments. THAMES WATER should be put into special administration rather than a pricey “short-term fix”, an MP’s barrister told the High Court yesterday.

The troubled water firm is in court to gain approval for £3billion of funding provided by its bondholders at a 9.75 per cent interest rate to keep it afloat. Junior bondholders are against the move — while Lib Dem MP Charlie Maynard says administration would be a “better and fairer course”. His barrister said the “short-term fix” aggravates “Thames Waters’ debt doom-loop”. A RECORD number of businesses — 5.6million — now operate in the UK, says a start-up index by Natwest and Beauhurst.

Some 846,000 launched in 2024, mostly online retailers, property firms, takeaways and consultancy firms. ADMIRAL TAVERNS, one of the UK’s largest pub companies, has toasted a rise in profits. The private equity-owned pub chain, which runs around 1,400 sites, said sales this year are stronger than expected, shrugging off pressures on consumer finances. Admiral reported underlying adjusted profits of £59.7million for the year to May 26 last year — higher than the £55.9million profit a year earlier.