Women in the UK will not be paid the same as men until 2056 at the current rate of progress, according to a Trades Union Congress report.<\/p>\n
The gender pay gap<\/a>, which stands at \u00a32,548 a year, means that women have in effect worked for free so far this year, the TUC said.<\/p>\n The report by the umbrella body says the pace at which women\u2019s earnings are increasing relative to men\u2019s is so slow that the gap is not scheduled to close for 30 years.<\/p>\n \u201cWomen have effectively been working for free for the first month and a half of the year compared to men,\u201d said the TUC\u2019s general secretary, Paul Nowak.<\/p>\n \u201cImagine turning up to work every single day and not getting paid. That\u2019s the reality of the gender pay gap. In 2026 that should be unthinkable. With the cost of living still biting hard, women simply can\u2019t afford to keep losing out. They deserve their fair share.\u201d<\/p>\n The pay gap, which stands at 12.8% overall, is larger in some sectors, according to the TUC. Women in education earn 17% less than their male peers; in finance and insurance the discrepancy rises to 27.2%.<\/p>\n