FAST food outlets are treating employees like slaves, according to campaigners.

A global day of action saw people across the world take to the streets to highlight the plight of workers in the fast food industry, many of whom are on zero hour contracts.

Campaigners in the UK were largely organised by the Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) who are calling for a £10 hourly minimum wage and the scrapping of zero hour contracts for those working at outlets like McDonalds, Burger King and KFC.

In Darlington, protestors from BFAWU and Darlington Against Cuts manned a stall close to McDonalds on Northgate and encouraged passersby to take up the fight against “slave labour”.

BFAWU representative Alan Milne said: “Zero hour contracts are going back to the dark ages.

“Fast food workers can go to work and be sent home with no pay despite paying expenses to get there or arranging child care.

“It’s fundamentally wrong and harks back to the shipyard days when people would stand outside waiting for work – it’s disgusting and needs to change.”

A former zero hours worker said: “I worked in Darlington on a zero hour contract and had my work cut from 40 hours a week to 18.

“That’s still above benefit levels so I couldn’t claim those and it’s absolutely disgusting, they’re treating people like slaves.

“It’s slave labour – what’s next, work camps?”

Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) representative Alan Docherty called on workers to fight back.

He said: “People are locked in these contracts as they rely on the money but they’re scared to speak out as if you upset your boss, you won’t get the hours.

“The only way to combat this is to get organised and fight back.”