A council in north Essex is preparing to publish information on its gender pay gap.

New legislation means all large employers must publish their gender pay gap, an issue which has come to the fore after action was launched against Tesco over historic differences paid to men and women.

At TDC, on average, women earn 44p an hour more than men. The slight difference is due to the number of male and female managers and supervisors.

As a local authority, TDC’s pay scale is set nationally and the system is designed to ensure men and women are paid equally for carrying out work of equal value.

Councillor Ricky Callender, chairman of the human resources committee, said it was right to publish the data.

He said: “In the 21st Century, and in the centenary year that women first won the right to vote in this country, I am extremely pleased to be able to publish this data for Tendring District Council.”