Outsourced University of London staff began strike action for proper sick pay, holidays and pensions yesterday as students tried to disrupt a royal visit in solidarity.

Cleaners, caterers, security staff and porters contracted to Balfour Beatty are staging two days of action in a bid to win equality with staff directly employed by the University.

The strike is part of their long-running "tres cosas" (three things) campaign - named in Spanish because it's the first language of the majority of the low-paid workers.