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Workers from supermarket giant Asda plan to stage a protest on Brighton seafront today (Monday 9 September) to mark the start of an equal pay claim.
The GMB union said that the case involved more than 60,000 workers, calling it the biggest ever in the private sector.
The union has organised a demonstration outside the Brighton Centre as the TUC (Trades Union Congress) gathers and another in Manchester where the case is to be heard.
The GMB said that the case was expected to last three months.
The union is arguing that the predominantly female retail workforce is paid up to £3.74 an hour less than the mainly male warehouse workforce.
Claimants are expected to say that retail work is of equal value to the company as warehouse work.
It is the second stage of a long-running case.
GMB national officer Nadine Houghton said: “Asda workers are making history. The result of this hearing will call time on the retailers undervaluing their predominantly women shop-floor workers.
“The entire retail sector has been built on the structural undervaluing of women’s work but GMB members are changing this.”
Asda said: “We fully respect the right of current and former colleagues to bring this case. However, we strongly reject any claim that Asda’s pay rates are influenced by gender.
“There are numerous different jobs within retail and within warehouses.
“We continue to defend these claims because retail and distribution are two different industry sectors that have their own distinct skill sets and pay structures.”
Earlier this year, GMB members at the Hollingbury branch of Asda went on strike over pay and conditions at the store.
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