More than 500 extra workers at Dudley Council have now accepted new wage offers, together worth more than £5million, which have been made to settle a long-running pay row.

Dudley Council has already settled with 1,937 people at a cost of £9.4m.

The move was part of its equal pay offers to bring women’s wages in line with men’s. And another 1,300 offers worth more than £10.4m were made to workers at the end of last year.

Figures today show that some 550 of that round of offers have now been accepted.

But council bosses have also confirmed that two “collective” cases, involving 950 workers, are being considered at an employment tribunal.

Council bosses have urged people to think carefully about the offers being made, and public sector union Unison has been monitoring the situation. Union solicitors have issued advice to people on a case-by-case basis over whether to accept offers.

Unison branch secretary Steve Beardsmore said: “Union officials are working with workers to decide what is the best option for them.”

Dudley Council spokesman Chris Howes said: “With regards to equal pay, 1,301 new offers were made during December 2010.

“Since then 556 offers have been accepted at a cost of £5.2 million.

“There are two collective equal pay cases in progress at an employment tribunal, with another case in the tribunal system pending the resolution of the first two cases.”

The two cases each involve a group of workers and could be held in September say union chiefs.

They were due to be held earlier this year but were postponed.

Councils across the region are attempting to deal with the issue of equal pay.

The move was demanded by the former Labour government 13 years ago.

Neighbouring Wolverhampton City Council has recently set a target of a year in which to resolve an equal pay dispute involving around 350 women workers.