Wed Feb 7 2007

The world's biggest retailer, Wal-Mart, is facing the largest sex discrimination case in US history.

The company, which owns Asda, may have to hand over billions of dollars in damages.

Around 1.5 million female employees claim they have been paid less than men in the US.

Several of the women involved in the case have expressed their reasons for filing the lawsuit.

"I was making half what the men made. You know I was over those same men training them on their jobs," said Christine Kwapnoski, a former Wal-Mart employee.

The women claim Wal-Mart systematically paid them 5 to 15 per cent less than male colleagues in comparable jobs and that while the Wal-Mart workforce is two-thirds female, women get only one third of all promotions to management.

Wal-Mart, which employs 1.3 million workers, claimed that the conventional rules of class-action suits should not apply in this case because its 3,400 stores, including Sam's Club warehouse outlets, operate like independent businesses, and that the company did not have a policy of discriminating against women.

The company said women who allege discrimination could file lawsuits against individual stores.

[link to www.itv.com]