'Unacceptable ' : Lib Dem MP Jo Swinson has spoken out about women not being rewarded equally in the workplace . Companies with more than 250 workers will be forced to publish details of their gender pay gap in a major Government U-turn . Liberal Democrat MPs are pushing to bring into effect measures in the 2010 Equality Act – which were not implemented by the Coalition – making companies publish the difference between male and female pay . Conservatives resisted the plans on the basis that companies should not be loaded with more red tape as the economy recovers from the financial crash . But government sources said that with Labour backing a change in the law , the Tories were confronted with the prospect of defeat in a crunch vote in the House of Lords . One said Conservative ministers had agreed the reform would be introduced , but only after a consultation with business leaders on exactly how it will work . Former Conservative deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine said he opposed the legislation because it would create ‘ more bureaucracy , more forms , more deterrent for companies to take on people ’ . The new law will make it compulsory for larger companies to publish the average difference between the pay of their male and female employees . A voluntary approach to pay transparency encouraged by the Government has so far led to only five of the country ’ s larger companies revealing their gender pay gaps . Labour says that analysis of the Office for National Statistics ’ annual survey of hours and earnings show that over a career , from the age of 22 to 64 , a woman earns an average of £209,976 less than men . Gloria de Piero , shadow minister for women and equalities , said firms which had already decided to publish gender pay gap data had said ‘ the ceiling didn ’ t cave in ’ , adding : ‘ It just enabled them to see they had a problem and get to grips with it. ’ Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said : ‘ While the Liberal Democrats have made real progress in areas like shared parental leave and extending the right to request flexible working , the labour market is still stacked against women . Gloria de Piero , shadow minister for women and equalities . ‘ It simply can not be acceptable that , in the 21st century , women on average still receive a smaller pay packet than men . ‘ We can ’ t wait and we can ’ t dither . We need to sort this out now . Finally , we are now in a position for the Government to vote through our party ’ s manifesto commitment for large companies to publish the difference in average pay between male and female employees . ‘ These measures will shine a light on a company ’ s policy so that women can rightly challenge their employer where they are not being properly valued and rewarded. ’ A Lib Dem source added : ‘ In discussions this week it was clear that the Tories wanted to delay taking any action on equal pay and kick the can down the road , just like they have for the last five years . ‘ It ’ s a huge U-turn from the Tories but it ’ s welcomed . At last we can take some real action. ’ The change in the law will be made in an amendment to the Small Business , Enterprise and Employment Bill . Lib Dem MP Jo Swinson said : ‘ It is utterly unacceptable that women are not being equally rewarded in the workplace. ’ A Tory source said : ‘ We have made sure there must be proper consultation with business about how it works – not something either Labour or the Lib Dems were concerned with. ’ It will take 70 years before the gender pay gap closes worldwide , the United Nations has claimed . And it will be another 81 years before women have the same chance as men of becoming a chief executive , and 50 before women are just as likely to lead their country . According to the International Labour Organization , there is not a country in the world which has yet achieved gender equality . The UN agency found women who start families before they turned 25 suffered a particularly large ‘ wage penalty ’ . Executive director of UN Women , Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka , said world leaders must ensure that ‘ promoting gender equality ’ was a ‘ top issue on their agenda , which it isn ’ t now ’ .
Lib Dem MPs are pushing to bring new measures into effect regarding pay . The party is also calling for a cap on the number of hours that workers can work in any one week and an end to zero-hour contracts which allow employers to hire people without paying them enough But Tories facing defeat on issue as Labour have got behind the change .