A US federal judge has given the go-ahead for a sex-discrimination lawsuit against Wal-Mart to become a class action, the plaintiffs' lawyers say.

BBC Online reports that the judge's decision means the case "now involves up to 1.6 million women who have worked for Wal-Mart since 1998".

It is the biggest civil rights case against a private employer in US legal history, the plaintiffs' lawyers say.

The world's biggest retailer, has not made any comment.

The original lawsuit, filed in June 2001 by six past and present female Wal-Mart employees, alleged that Wal-Mart systematically paid women less than men and passed them over for promotion.

"Up till now, Wal-Mart has never faced a trial like this," said Brad Seligman, the lead counsel for the women.

"Lawsuits by individual women had no more effect than a pinprick. Now, however, the playing field has been levelled. Wal-Mart will face the combined power of 1.6 million women in court," said Seligman in a statement on the Impact Fund website, a campaign group backing the women.

Judge Jenkins described the lawsuit as "historic in nature" in deciding to certify it as a class action.

Wal-Mart has 1.3 million staff. It argued that a class action was inappropriate because of its size, and because promotions were decided by local managers. It was over-ruled.

The plaintiffs lawyers opposed this on the grounds that Wal-Mart is a tightly knit and highly regulated company with a strong corporate culture. Its 3,500 US stores are more or less identical, they argued.

Wal-Mart has 10 days to ask the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to review Judge Jenkins's decision.

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