▁Se ym our - Smith ▁and ▁M s ▁Pere z ▁had ▁made ▁a ▁claim ▁against ▁the ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State ▁for ▁Emp loyment ▁that ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ' s ▁qual ifying ▁period ▁of ▁two ▁years ▁for ▁unf air ▁dismiss al ▁constit uted ▁indirect ▁disc rim ination ▁against ▁women ▁under ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁the ▁European ▁Union , ▁article ▁ 1 1 9 ▁( now ▁T FE U ▁art ▁ 1 5 7 ) ▁and ▁the ▁Equ al ▁Tre at ment ▁Direct ive ▁ 7 6 / 2 0 7 / E EC . ▁M s ▁Se ym our - Smith ▁was ▁dismiss ed ▁after ▁less ▁than ▁a ▁year ' s ▁work ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁for ▁Christ o ▁& ▁Co , ▁and ▁M s ▁Pere z ▁had ▁similarly ▁claimed ▁unf air ▁dismiss al ▁after ▁losing ▁her ▁job ▁at ▁Matthew ▁Stone ▁Rest oration . ▁Statist ically ▁fewer ▁women ▁had ▁long ▁enough ▁periods ▁of ▁service ▁as ▁men ▁to ▁acc r ue ▁the ▁protection ▁of ▁unf air ▁dismiss al ▁law , ▁for ▁data ▁collected ▁between ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁when ▁M s ▁Se ym our - Smith ▁was ▁working . ▁( There ▁was ▁evidence ▁that ▁after ▁that ▁time ▁the ▁gap ▁had ▁been ▁starting ▁to ▁narrow .) ▁The ▁UK ▁qual ifying ▁period ▁resulted ▁from ▁the ▁Un f air ▁D ismiss al ▁( Vari ation ▁of ▁Qual ifying ▁Period ) ▁Order ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁which ▁had ▁raised ▁the ▁qual ifying ▁period ▁for ▁all ▁employees ▁from ▁its ▁original