U.S. SUPREME COURT RULES FOR BUSINESSES OVER WORKERS

The U.S. Supreme Court says employers can prohibit workers from banding together to dispute their pay and conditions, an important victory for business interests. The justices ruled 5-4 Monday, with the court’s conservative members in the majority, that businesses can force employees to individually use arbitration, not the courts, to resolve disputes. The outcome does not affect people represented by labour unions, but about 25 million employees work under contracts that prohibit collective action by employees. The result could prompt a new round of lawsuits aimed at limiting class or collective action to raise allegations of racial discrimination. The Trump administration backed the businesses, reversing the position the Obama administration took.