Swindon’s economy could take a six-and-a-half million pound hit as a result of government plans to cut pay rises for key workers in the public sector, according to trade unionists.

The average woman in Swindon and Wiltshire effectively works a quarter of the year for free compared to the average man, according to analysis published today (Wednesday) by the TUC.

With a pay gap of 23.7 percent, it means women in Swindon work 87 days for free. And the situation is little better in Wiltshire, where the pay gap is 21.3 percent, meaning women work 78 days for free.