Strike action by Initial cleaners at St Pancras International kicked off at 6am this morning with pickets out in force and rail union RMT reporting fantastic support from the public in the fight against poverty pay. Around seventy pickets and supporters have brought horns, drums and a carnival atmosphere to the London Eurostar terminal.

The workers have not had a pay increase for maintaining the opulent Eurostar terminal in four years and have been offered a pathetic 13 p taking them to £ 6.76 an hour, miles short of Boris Johnsons London living wage of £8.30 an hour.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said.

"It’s disgraceful that the cleaners who mop up the spilt Bollinger in the St Pancras champagne bar are on poverty pay levels. This scandal is a blight on London’s status as a world class city in the run up to the Olympics and we are determined to force it into the headlines.

"RMT wants a swift resolution to this dispute and the union is appalled that Network Rail, a public body still reeling from its own bonus scandal, has not lifted a finger to stop this exploitation by its cleaning contractors."