to boycott Wilko

[BusyProcrastinator]

Horrible ongoing story where a woman who'd worked in Wilko for 16 years found out that 2 men doing the same job (for 2 years) were being paid more.

*"We were lied to, bullied and ostracised. I had never had my work in any role called into question, until I dared to query why I was not receiving the same wage as my male comparators," she said.

Both women were eventually dismissed from their jobs - Ms Jarman in June 2018 and Ms Hackman in October 2018 - after a period of being signed off sick with stress.

The tribunal held in Cardiff in March found there was no evidence to suggest the women were paid less for any reason other than their sex.*

This seems like really clear cut bullshit on Wilko's behalf, and a tribunal agreed.

Wilko plan to "'robustly defend" themselves despite a tribunal finding against them.

AIBU to boycott them until the women get apologies, back pay and compensation? (That means probably forever!!)

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-52560739

Sounds like YANBU

Dreadful behaviour by Wilko.

While I agree with you in principle. Wilkinson's is one of the few places left that sell certain things within my budget. They are the only retailer within my main shopping area since lock down.

I haven't shopped there since lock down because of the queues, but I will need to shortly.

Aren’t they on the shit- list of companies to avoid because of refusing to pay sick pay or something at the beginning of lockdown?

While I agree with you in principle. Wilkinson's is one of the few places left that sell certain things within my budget. They are the only retailer within my main shopping area since lock down
This is the issue. I'd like to boycott them... But they are the only place open around here.

If the women have won their case they will be awarded compensation. Unfortunately many businesses pay women leaa

Less

Well it's illegal for a start, surely to God, so. What defence do they have.
Shame on you Wilko.

I thought you meant wilko Johnson

That's horrendous. How did they possibly excuse that?

I would be curious to how this was done. I worked retail for years. It was the same hourly rate regardless of if you had worked there 2 months or 20 years (except for age differences for under 18s - they got less). Although it is a warehouse in the story not a shop so it might be different there but from what I know even in retail warehouses it's an hourly rate. The only way I can see this happening is if the warehouse managers were sneakily paying the men 'extras'. I got paid an extra £10 a month because I was a key holder (ie I could unlock the shop in the morning) but that was an 'at the managers discretion' thing. If that's what happened it isn't really Wilkos as a company issue but a manager at the warehouse issue.

Yes, I'm not going there unless and until they can demonstrate that they pay their staff fairly.

It's important to know what roles they were in. If it's an office job then the men may have just negotiated a better salary, but if it's in the warehouse where you'd expect equal pay then that's concerning.

Also 'same job' is a bit vague. In retail a 'sales assistant' can be anything from someone who sits on a till all day to someone who spends the whole day filling shelves or taking in the deliveries at the back door and sorting them or completely having to re set up displays and move things around or change promotions or check prices or 101 other things. They may actually all be called Sales Assistant but the actual job varies so so much. In the warehouses I expected everyone is called Warehouse Assistant even if they do different tasks.
Not defending Wilkos in any way as I don't know the full facts. Boycotting them over this seems childish to me because if anyone was concerned about decent pay and working environments in the retail world - they would pretty much have to boycott all retail companies.