Dinner ladies have received the backing of Labour leadership contender Ed Miliband, in their campaign for better treatment at work.

A number of dinner ladies from schools in the borough met the MP for Doncaster North – who is fighting to be the new leader of the Labour Party – when he attended an event in Twickenham on Sunday.

The women, who work for catering company Sodexo – which provides meals to children at 38 schools in the borough – spoke at the meeting about their campaign for nationally-agreed wages and sick pay.

Mr Miliband said: “I have no hesitation in backing the Richmond dinner ladies’ demands for fair treatment from their employers.

“Schoolchildren rely on the hard work these women do, and the very least they deserve is fair treatment on the most basic of issues, like sick pay and safety at work.”

Most Sodexo-employed dinner ladies currently earn about £7.26 an hour but do not work school holidays, unlike most other school staff.

As a result their pay is spread out over the year, giving them a wage of just over £5 an hour.

Keith Sonnet, deputy general secretary of Unison, also attended the meeting and spoke in support of the campaign.

He said: “Dinner ladies work hard to give children a decent, healthy lunch.

“It’s time Sodexo dished up some better treatment and gave them decent pay and fair conditions.

“Sodexo pay just above the minimum wage in Richmond’s school kitchens. Under national agreements, staff should get the same pay and sick leave as staff directly employed by the council.

“It is a scandal that Sodexo, a company that makes millions every year, refuses to give its staff sick pay.

“Richmond’s dinner ladies are faced with the tough choice of going in when they are ill, or losing out on a day’s pay.”

The dinner ladies are also demanding better health and safety measures, essential kitchen equipment be replaced quicker and increased staff numbers.

Mr Sonnet told the gathering about one dinner lady who was alone in a school kitchen when a faulty oven blew up, and another who prepares lunch for 200 children on her own, every day.

One dinner lady, who did not want to be named, said she had been waiting months for a new pair of oven gloves.

A Sodexo spokeswoman said: “The wellbeing of our staff is of paramount importance, and Sodexo works closely with the council, which arranges for the repair of equipment when needed, to ensure the collective safety standards are met and adhered to.

“Our staff are paid above the national minimum wage on a term-time basis. The arrangement of these contracts is suited to those who enjoy flexible working hours and do not wish to work full-time over the course of the full year.”

She said a meeting between Sodexo and Unison was planned for September 22.