HUNDREDS of cleaners, porters and security guards at a major London university are considering taking strike action against being “overworked, underpaid and mistreated” on the job.

The 300 Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) members at University College London (UCL) are intending to ballot for industrial action against the outsourcing of jobs at the university, and against zero-hours contracts.

Workers claim that they endure far worse conditions than their colleagues who are directly employed by UCL, receive worse pensions and holiday pay and are furious that they do not get paid for the first three days that they are off sick.