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| Wal-Mart bias case to go to trial | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Wal-Mart will face a lawsuit claiming pay discrimination against more than a million female US employees after a court approved the action. | Wal-Mart will face a lawsuit claiming pay discrimination against more than a million female US employees after a court approved the action. |
| A federal appeals court upheld a 2004 ruling granting the lawsuit class action status, sanctioning claims from 1.5 million current and former staff. | A federal appeals court upheld a 2004 ruling granting the lawsuit class action status, sanctioning claims from 1.5 million current and former staff. |
| Should it lose the case, the world's largest retailer could have to pay damages worth billions of dollars. | Should it lose the case, the world's largest retailer could have to pay damages worth billions of dollars. |
| Wal-Mart has said it did not have a policy discriminating against women. | Wal-Mart has said it did not have a policy discriminating against women. |
| In a two to one verdict, the San Francisco court ruled that the country's largest class action lawsuit against a private employer could proceed. | In a two to one verdict, the San Francisco court ruled that the country's largest class action lawsuit against a private employer could proceed. |
| Factual evidence, statistical evidence and anecdotal evidence present significant proof of a corporate policy of discrimination Judge Martin Jenkins | Factual evidence, statistical evidence and anecdotal evidence present significant proof of a corporate policy of discrimination Judge Martin Jenkins |
| Judge Martin Jenkins said sufficient evidence existed of discriminatory practices dating back to 1998 to support the case going to trial. | Judge Martin Jenkins said sufficient evidence existed of discriminatory practices dating back to 1998 to support the case going to trial. |
| "Factual evidence, statistical evidence and anecdotal evidence present significant proof of a corporate policy of discrimination and support plaintiff's contention that female employees nationwide were subjected to a common pattern and practice of discrimination," he said. | "Factual evidence, statistical evidence and anecdotal evidence present significant proof of a corporate policy of discrimination and support plaintiff's contention that female employees nationwide were subjected to a common pattern and practice of discrimination," he said. |
| The plaintiffs will need to establish that Wal-Mart had a company-wide policy of paying female staff less than men and that workers had no right to argue their individual cases. | The plaintiffs will need to establish that Wal-Mart had a company-wide policy of paying female staff less than men and that workers had no right to argue their individual cases. |
| Wal-Mart has argued that granting the lawsuit class action status is inappropriate because its 3,400 stores operate as individual businesses. | Wal-Mart has argued that granting the lawsuit class action status is inappropriate because its 3,400 stores operate as individual businesses. |
| It said workers who believed they were victims of discrimination could sue individual stores. | It said workers who believed they were victims of discrimination could sue individual stores. |