Wal-Mart
was won the right to appeal against a US sex discrimination case being given
class action status.
A
federal appeals court has agreed to hear the retail giant’s appeal against the
ruling, made by a judge in June, that around 1.6m current and former female
employees of the world’s biggest retailer are parties to a lawsuit originally
filed in 2001 by six women.
The
suit alleges that Wal-Mart has discriminated against women employees in areas
such as pay, promotion and training.
If
allowed to proceed, legal experts have said it would be one the biggest such
cases in legal history, with Wal-Mart potentially facing liabilities running
into many millions.
The
court did not give a date for the appeal hearing.
In
other retail news, the 2,350 staff at regional convenience store chain Jacksons
have been assured that they will keep their jobs after the takeover by
supermarket giant Sainsbury’s.
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The
acquisition, announced today, will see the 114 Jacksons stores operating as a
separate business run by the current management team from the convenience
store’s support centre.
By Daniel Thomas    Â
