A total of 174 low-paid female ex-Birmingham City Council workers can go ahead with their compensation claims after the council lost its appeal.
The women, including cooks, cleaners, caterers and care staff, won a ruling over their low pay in November 2011.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court rejected the council's argument the claims should have been made within six months of the women losing their jobs.
The former workers now have six years to submit their compensation claims.
Lawyers for the women called the result a "landmark" judgment and said it could have "huge implications" for potentially "thousands" of other workers.
They said the 174 women in the group could be entitled to about £2m in total between them.
The lawyers added that up to another 1,000 former city council employees could also be entitled to submit claims.
The city council had said it would be reviewing the judgement "in detail" before considering its options.
Male-dominated jobsThe authority had argued the women should have submitted their claims through an employment tribunal within a six-month time limit of leaving their jobs.
- 27 April, 2010: About 5,000 mainly female council staff, including cleaners, cooks, care assistants and caretakers win their case for equal pay at an employment tribunal
- 9 June, 2010: The council announces plans to appeal against the equal pay ruling
- 9 May, 2011: The council's appeal is dismissed at the Employment Appeal Tribunal
- 29 November, 2011: A group of 174 female workers win a Court of Appeal decision on equal pay claims
- 10 January, 2012: The council lodges an application for permission to appeal with the Supreme Court against the decision on equal pay claims
- 25 October, 2012: The council is denied permission to appeal against the decision for low-paid female workers to seek compensation
Wednesday's ruling means the women can now seek compensation through the civil courts system.
The city council had challenged November's ruling in the Supreme Court, but a panel of five judges dismissed the authority's appeal.
The court heard the women were among other female workers who had been denied bonuses which had been given to staff in traditionally male-dominated jobs such as refuse collectors, street cleaners, road workers and grave diggers.
The court was told that during 2007 and 2008, tens of thousands of pounds of compensation was given out to female council employees who were still working at the council.
More payments were made to women who had recently left who had taken cases to an employment tribunal.
However, these did not apply to anyone who had left the council more than six months before.
Mary Roach, from Yardley, who worked as a home help for the city council for 27 years, said she "could not believe it" when she heard about the bonuses they had missed.
She said: "I feel I might have been entitled for more.
"I only found when we got letters about the situation and were invited to meetings."
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