THOUSANDS of women public sector workers, previously denied access to bumper equal pay compensation, could now cash in following a High Court defeat by Birmingham City Council.

The ruling saw 174 women workers, including cleaners, dinner ladies and care home staff, given the right to make equal pay claims even though they complained more than six months after leaving their jobs.

The decision opens the door for thousands of women who retired or changed jobs to make claims.

They had previously been denied the right to ask for a payout because they had left it too long.

Campaigners said it also vastly increased the equal pay liabilities of councils, health trusts and other public sector organisations facing such challenges.

Authorities have already paid out millions to women care workers, dinner ladies and cleaners who the courts ruled had not been paid the same as comparable male-dominated jobs such as dustmen, road workers and street sweepers.

The city council argued that claims should go through an Employment Tribunal, for which there is a six-month limit, but Judge Colin Edelman QC, ruled the High Court had jurisdiction and a six-year limit should apply.

Paul Savage, of equal pay firm Action for Equality, said: “Thousands of workers missed out on equal pay compensation because they were out of time. This will open the floodgates.

“We will be talking to them about their cases in the New Year.”

A spokesman for the council said the authority would seek leave to appeal through the courts.