The training of union representatives has led to more employers addressing the issue of equal pay, the TUC has said.

In its survey of businesses, more than half were taking steps to equalise pay between men and women workers. Of those, two thirds were conducting or had completed a formal review, while 55 per cent had set up a working party.

More than two thirds of respondents had established an action plan to address those pay gaps that had since been discovered.

The poll comes one year after a government-funded TUC training programme was launched on how to close the gender gap on pay. It has now trained 400 men and women.

The deputy minister for women and equality, Jacqui Smith, said further action would be taken to close the gender pay gap.

"The government will continue to work with the TUC and business to address the lingering pay gap between men and women," she said.

"We are committed to seeing women's talents fully used and rewarded.

"This survey clearly shows that the best way to do that is for trade unions and employers to work in partnership. The TUC has done a great job training its union reps and setting up so many joint training schemes with employers."

Kay Carberry, TUC assistant general secretary, said the results showed that a first step had been made, but with more work still to be done.

"Thirty years after the Equal Pay Act, women's pay still lags way behind men's," she said.

"Unions have stepped up the campaign for equal pay by persuading employers to examine the pay gap in their workplaces.

"Equal pay reviews and working parties are not going to destroy the pay gap overnight, but they are important step on the road towards making wages fairer for women."