Fast-food workers across the globe in super-sized strike

Workers in cities across the globe today joined protests against what they claim is unfair treatment at the hands some of the world's biggest fast-food chains.

Demonstrators pitched outside restaurants in more than 30 countries including Britain, Brazil, Japan and New Zealand in support of a campaign begun in the United States.

The one-day strike is the latest in a series of US demonstrations over the past 18 months that have targeted fast-food restaurant operators, including McDonald's and Burger King.

Union leaders said staff in the country are seeking wages of $15 (£8.93) an hour and the right to unionize without retaliation.

Among a series of planned UK demonstrations, protesters gathered outside a McDonald's branch in Glasgow and near government offices in London's Whitehall and called for an end to zero-hours contracts.

McDonald's, the world's biggest restaurant chain by revenue, and Burger King have defended their treatment of employees, saying they pay fair wages.