ALMOST 10,000 Glasgow City Council employees are taking action over equal pay deals.

Using union help and no win, no fee' lawyers, workers could cost the council £49million.

And union leaders say pay disputes will plague the council for decades.

In 1999, a pay deal was struck to ensure a single system pay structure across all local authorities, giving women the same wages as men.

Councils were also told to make compensation deals with staff, covering back-pay of up to five years.

Across Scotland more than 13,000 current and former local council workers are waiting for compensation claims to be settled. Glasgow is facing action from 9909 workers - who want a review, claiming morale among female staff is at an all-time low.

In December 2005, staff were given payments of up to £9000 from council chiefs eager to avoid strike action and law suits.

However, more than 2000 disgruntled workers refused to share in a £42m windfall.

A spokeswoman for the council said: "The council has invested a significant amount of money in its workforce, much of which has gone to lower-paid female workers in their basic core pay.

"We made compensation offers to just over 11,000 people in December 2005. The vast majority - some 90% - accepted those offers."

But GMB union solicitor Margaret Gribbon believes future and present claims will pit female workers against the council for decades to come.

Margaret said: "The council is using every preliminary point open to it in tribunals. It is litigation within litigation.

"Authorities have had the opportunity to resolve the pay bias issue but they chose not to.

"I have been telling my current clients to expect to be waiting at least five more years, but it would be a lot less if authorities were not instructing their corporate lawyers to delay proceedings when there is no substance to their defence."

Umbrella body Cosla estimates equal pay claims could cost councils more than £500m - though it insists services will not be cut to cover the cost.