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Women have effectively been working for free for the first month and a half of the year compared to men, says the TUC General Secretary
Alan Jones Sunday 15 February 2026 00:01 GMT- Bookmark
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open image in galleryThe TUC states that the gender pay gap currently stands at 12.8 per cent(PA) (PA Archive)
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The gender pay gap in the UK is not projected to close for another three decades, according to a new analysis by the Trades Union Congress (TUC). At the current rate of progress, women will have to wait until 2056 for pay parity.
The TUC’s findings reveal that the average woman effectively works for 47 days of the year without pay, only beginning to earn from today compared to her male counterparts. The union body states that the gender pay gap currently stands at 12.8 per cent, equating to a loss of £2,548 annually for the average female worker.
Disparities are particularly stark in certain sectors, with the pay gap in education reaching 17 per cent, while in the finance and insurance industry, it escalates to 27.2 per cent.
Paul Nowak, TUC General Secretary, highlighted the severity of the situation. "Women have effectively been working for free for the first month and a half of the year compared to men," he said.
open image in galleryThe TUC said its analysis showed that the average woman effectively works for 47 days of the year for free and only starts earning from today compared to the average man (Peter Byrne/PA Wire)"Imagine turning up to work every single day and not getting paid. That’s the reality of the gender pay gap. In 2026 that should be unthinkable."
Mr Nowak emphasised the financial strain on women amidst the cost of living crisis. "With the cost of living still biting hard, women simply can’t afford to keep losing out. They deserve their fair share."
He added that the Employment Rights Act represents a crucial step towards achieving pay parity, as it will ban exploitative zero-hours contracts, which disproportionately affect women.
The Act will also mandate employers to publish action plans for tackling their gender pay gaps, though Mr Nowak stressed these plans "must be tough, ambitious and built to deliver real change, otherwise they won’t work."
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