Cumbria CC has offered £40m to settle equal pay claims, after losing a long-running legal battle. In a case dating back to 2002, trade unions Unison and GMB called the settlement a ‘victory for common sense'. The council argued women employees had signed new contracts and were, therefore, ‘new employees' and not entitled to full back-pay on their claims. The court ruled earlier in the month that various contracts of employment for substantially the same work should be regarded as stable employment. If agreement can be reached with some of claimants outside the tribunal process, compensation could be paid out in the next few months. Council leader, Stewart Young, said: ‘Low-paid workers need the certainty of cash in their pockets now – not the possibility of a pay-out more than a year away.' The council, too, needs certainty so that it can plan its finances effectively.'