HUNDREDS of support staff at University College London (UCL) protested yesterday against outsourcing and demanded equal pay.

Caterers, cleaners, porters and security guards working at UCL — one of the country’s wealthiest universities — called for their jobs to be brought back in house.

They were joined by trade unionists and the university’s Labour Club at a rally outside UCL’s main building in Bloomsbury.

The 900 support staff, who belong to employment agencies such as Sodexo and Axis, do not receive the same sick pay and holiday allowance that workers directly employed by UCL enjoy.

Protesters hope that UCL’s management will follow the example of fellow University of London colleges, including the London School of Economics and King’s, which have agreed to directly employ their support staff.

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis told the rally: “The abuse of people like you has got to stop in our society.

“We’re not sitting back. We’re not waiting for promises from politicians, so we’re taking action ourselves.

“We will fight and fight and fight again — not just for a pay increase, but for sick pay arrangements and annual leave. You deserve it.”

Unison Greater London regional organiser Boyana Petrovich said: “For more than a year, outsourced workers have been campaigning to reverse this injustice and won’t stop until fairness and common sense prevail.

“Senior managers at UCL recognise that affected staff feel very strongly but they need to act now to end the outsourcing, which has become such a nightmare for so many low-paid staff at the university.”