AGENCY workers at at the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) starting a five-day strike today have been hailed as heroic by PCS union leader Mark Serwotka.

Caterers and cleaners employed by subcontracting giants Aramark and ISS at the ministry are demanding they be paid the London living wage of £10.55 an hour.

The PCS members claim that bosses have repeatedly ignored their demands for a wage rise to address the increasing cost of living. They will also be joined on strike by porters and security staff at the department from Tuesday until Thursday.

The strike is the latest in a wave of industrial unrest from support and administrative staff at various government departments.

The union has demanded that all agency workers be brought back onto government contracts and that the workers be paid a wage in line with civil servants.

Mr Serwotka said: “This escalation of action by our members shows the strength and depth of feeling they have about how they are being treated.

“To take one day’s strike action takes guts, but to run a sustained period of industrial action is heroic.

“Our union will continue to fight tooth and nail for our members for as long as it takes.

“Business Secretary Greg Clark needs to heed the message staff in his building are sending him.”

A BEIS spokesman said: “We value all of our staff at BEIS and recognise that they deserve a fair wage for their hard work, whether directly employed or working for our contractors.

“This is why we have ensured that our contractors align the pay of cleaning, catering, mail-room and security staff to the median rates for comparable occupations as identified in the annual survey of hours and earnings.”