Wal-mart discrimination lawsuit filed

(FOX) - Wal-mart is facing a major class action lawsuit, women claiming male employees get better pay and faster promotions.

Now a federal court says - a group of women claiming discrimination. Can take the world's largest retailer to court. Betty Dukes is one of the women who filed suit in 2001.

The Pittsburgh Wal-mart greeter claiming the company discriminated against women workers by paying men more than women for doing the same job . The suit also alleges women had a harder time getting promoted.

Five other women joined Dukes in taking on America's biggest private employer. But an estimated one million are eligible to join the class action suit.

"The plaintiffs must show that Wal-mart knowingly discriminated against women in hiring and in promotion," said judge Andrew Napolitano.

Wal-mart denies any claim of discrimination and says in a statement quote: "We do not believe the claims alleged by the six individuals who brought this suit are representative of the experiences of our female associates."

The decision gives the go ahead for the plaintiffs to sue, but does not determine that Wal-mart did anything unlawful.

Still others say it will be difficult to prove damages against the Arkansas-based retailer without solid proof.

The ruling means any woman who worked for Wal-mart since 2001 can seek back pay in what's shaping up to be the biggest gender discrimination case in U.S. History.