The union organisation announced on Thursday it is to train 500 equal pay representatives across the country to work with employers on reviewing wage rates.

A series of courses will be held at centres including Bristol, Southampton, London, Liverpool, Glasgow, Birmingham and Bridgend.

TUC general secretary John Monks said: "The long campaign for equal pay has made progress down the years but we still have more to do."

Fear

"The efforts of these reps is going to make a real difference to women's pay and to tackling discrimination at work."

The TUC has been calling for statutory pay reviews to identify firms which pay women lower rates than men.

The government recently appointed Denise Kingsmill, the deputy chairman of the Competition Commission, to lead an inquiry into equal pay and suggest practical solutions to the pay gap.