A DEAL to settle the equal pay claims of thousands of women in Glasgow is imminent, it is understood.

Councillors on the council’s Joint Equal Pay Working Group are locked in a meeting this morning in the City Chambers to finalise terms of a deal which would pay out to the thousands of women.

The final bill is expected to be around £500m with the council borrowing cash to settle the claims and pay back over a period of years.

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City Treasurer, Allan Gow, will need to find cash to begin to pay interest on loans when he sets the council budget next month.

Union officers and lawyers representing the women are waiting to hear the outcome of the meeting today.

Stefan Cross QC, of Action 4 Equality, who represent thousands of claimants said it is not the end of the matter just yet.

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He said: “We expect to get an agreement in principle, the structure of a deal.

“It will still be months before anyone gets an offer never mind a cheque.”

Around 8000 workers took part in an equal pay strike last year at the council after unions said they were fed up waiting for a settlement and were not satisfied with progress of negotiations.

The equal pay dispute has dragged on for more than a decade with Glasgow City Council under the previous Labour administration challenging court rulings to pay out.

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The SNP fought the council election in 2017 pledging to end the dispute and soon after taking office council leader Susan Aitken said the council would end the legal challenge and move towards a negotiated settlement with the unions and lawyers representing the women.