Women in construction ‘work for free’ part of the year and urgent action needed, says WaMT and Procure Plus
Women in construction are still paid significantly less than their male counterparts, and Procure Plus, through its Women and Manual Trades (WaMT) programme, says it’s time to close the pay gap and create more inclusive opportunities.
According to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the gender pay gap means women effectively “work for free” for part of the year. The latest figures show that women at the UK’s largest construction firms earn 23% less per hour than men, down only marginally from 27% six years ago.
Women and Manual Trades (WaMT) works within Procure Plus, a not-for-profit company, to support women currently working in or looking to enter the construction trades.
Procure Plus has long championed access to training and employment for underrepresented groups, including women, through targeted social value initiatives designed to remove barriers and create opportunities across the sector.
One example is its groundbreaking construction programme at HMP Styal, a women’s prison in Cheshire, which aims to equip women in custody with valuable, industry-relevant skills, opening doors to employment opportunities upon release.
WaMT and Procure Plus are calling on employers across the construction and social housing sectors to take immediate steps to address pay inequality by:
- Conducting regular pay equity audits
- Publishing clear salary bands and promotion criteria
- Supporting flexible and inclusive working arrangements
- Encouraging more women into leadership roles
Gwen Beeken, Managing Director at Procure Plus, said:
“We know how important representation, equity and fairness are - not only to the women we support into work and training, but to the long-term health of the sector.
“Failing to tackle the gender pay gap risks putting women off careers in construction altogether. Employers have a critical role to play in creating inclusive workplaces where women feel valued, supported, and able to progress.”
Megan Lee, Employment and Training Manager for the WaMT programme at Procure Plus added:
“Construction has come a long way, but women are still earning significantly less for doing the same work. That’s not just unfair, it’s unsustainable.
“If we want a truly inclusive industry, we need employers to step up, take responsibility, and put meaningful change into practice. Closing the gap benefits everyone.”
WaMT supports women currently working in or looking to enter the construction trades by collaborating with a variety of construction industry employers and trade bodies to make tradeswomen the norm, not the exception.
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